Saved
by Villana Del Amor
Summary: The team comes to terms with themselves and soon learn that you can only save someone that wants to be saved.
1. Nice and Slow

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters/plot/etc., that have been portrayed in the movie. I only claim the OFCs and any original poetry that appears in this story.

**Summary:** The team comes to terms with themselves and soon learn that you can only save someone that wants to be saved.

**Saved**

_I see the slow depression_

_That seeps into your eyes._

_I smell the pain_

_You swallow down with your pride._

_I taste the sweet bitterness,_

_That you try and fail to hide._

_I hear your heart break_

_With each day you breathe._

_I feel your need, your want,_

_Your desire to live._

_You're half gone,_

_But still rooted in the world,_

_Because of me._

_It's my gift,_

_And your curse._

**You can only save someone that wants to be saved.**

---

Mia threw her latest style magazine down on the counter, brushing back the stray hairs that were sticking to her forehead. It was the middle of July and the heat wasn't taking pity on any of them. She cut her eyes towards the gang of fools in the back of the store, who were currently huddled around in a circle in front of the fridge. She slapped her hand down on the counter and began her trek to the back of the store.

"We're about to close in a few minutes. Could you please bring your items to the front of the store?" She said, while walking to the back of the store. She stopped a few feet from them and the group of guys turned around and faced her. "Give me all your money, lady." Everything slowed down for Mia at that moment. She froze and stared wide eyed at the gun that was currently being pointed at her. She held her hands up and took in deep breaths, backing up slowly.

"There's not a lot in the register, but there's a couple hundred. Just take it and anything you want," she whispered, her body shaking. One of guys stepped forward, nodding slowly. "Where's the safe?" He asked, thrusting the gun in her direction. Mia shook her head and began to sob. "We don't have a safe. We don't pull in that much money," she said.

The guy motioned to the rest of them to spread out. "Search the place for anything that we could use. I'll take care of the pretty lady here," he said, smiling at her. The rest of the males began to tear the store apart and five minutes later when the rustling stopped, two gunshots were heard.

---

Dayna turned the corner, absentmindely counting her change. She was in dier need of anything to cool her down. The supermarket was too far away to walk and this was the nearest store that was open. She prayed that they took debit, because if not she would only be able to barely afford a bottle of water. As she walked into the store, she pulled out her debit card, getting ready to ask if they accepted it.

She stopped short, her brows coming together at the sight of the store. "Hello?" She asked, stepping over a desmantled magazine rack. She heard a small whimper coming from the back of the store and as she made her way closer to the sound, she saw a body lying on the floor with a dark puddle forming around it.

Dayna dropped her belongings and ran towards the back of the store, sliding down to the female that was lying in her own blood. "Help," the female whispered to her, her body shaking. Dayna grabbed her cell phone off of it's clip on her belt and dailed 911. After receiving careful instructions to apply pressure on the wounds, she hung up, praying that the ambulance arrived soon.

She pulled the white tank top she was wearing off and rolled it up, placing it on the frail woman's body. "Breathe. Nice and slow," she whispered. "Dom," the woman whispered, sweat rolling off of her forehead. "I think you're going into shock, just breath and don't worry about a thing," Dayna whispered, brushing her hair off of her forehead and taking in deep breaths along with her.

Five minutes later, the ambulance pulled off, the injured woman in tow. Dayna looked around at the mess she was currently in and wondered what the hell she was supposed to do. She heared distant sirens and knew that she had to make a decision quick.

So she ran.

---

Dom stood outside of the store, pacing. He was half past furious. Mia was in the hospital with two critical gunshot wounds and no one knew or saw anything. Vince appeared by his side and patted him on the shoulder. "Listen dawg, just head on over to the hospital with Letty. I'll handle things here," he said. Dom nodded and began to make his way towards his car, but a stern hand on his shoulder made him stop.

Vince leaned in close, shielding them from the cop's view and retrieved a card from his pocket. "I found this in front of the counter. We know just about every customer that comes in to this store and this low life is not one of them," he whispered, passing him the card. Dom nodded and took the card into the palm of his hand. "Finish up here and head on over to hospital," he said, climbing into his car.

As Dom drove off, he thought about Vince's skills and how they had come into play.

He would be taking matters into his own hands.

---

"This is a bad idea, Dom. Betwen you and Vince, I don't know which one is worse. You, because she's your sister, or Vince, because his love infatuation turned into his best friend after everything that happened with the heists," Letty argued, standing her ground in front of Dom. He ran a hand over his head and sighed. "Take a look at her, Letty. She doesn't have one bad bone in her body, do you think she deserves this? She's practically in a coma and she probably will never have kids because some asshole tried to rip her off for a couple bucks!" He yelled.

"You're a hot head, Dom. You're walking into this blind. You have no idea who this Dayna Morelo or whatever her name is, is capable of. Whatever you decide to do, just take it nice and slow," she replied, glaring at Jesse and sliding her eyes back over to Vince. "Whatever happens to him, I'm going to triple to both of you, for aiding and abetting him in his quest for revenge," she snarled at them before walking into Mia's hospital room.


	2. 3 Strikes

**Chapter 2: **3 Strikes

After he picked the lock, Vince opened the door slowly, letting Dom walk in front of him. With Jesse's help they were able to track down the Dayna Morelo that the credit card belonged to. She conveniently lived 2 streets and a couple of blocks down from the team's house and a street down from the store. There was a sign outside of the house that read sold, which would explain the dark, messy house Vince and Dom had just broken into.

The men glanced up the stairs as they heard faint footsteps and a female voice singing an old love song. Dom walked over to a chair in the living room that was facing the stairs and sat down, his arms crossed over his chest and his face frozen. Vince hid in the shadows besides the stairs, in case Dayna Morelo wasn't alone. He glanced down at the cold piece of steel in his hand and took in a deep breath. _She's worth this. If I have to catch a case for her, I will_, he thought to himself, thinking back to the last time he got in trouble with the law.

As the footsteps got closer, Vince's breath quickened. Soon after, a female body was seen coming down the stairs, singing softly to herself. She walked through the dark living room, oblivious to the two men that were in her house. She walked into the kitchen and with the light coming from the fridge, Vince got a good look at her. _This can't be right_, he thought to himself as he watched her drink straight from the milk carton. She currently had her hair in rollers, her face was covered in some green gunk and she was dressed in an oversized tee.

As she turned towards the living room, the milk carton slipped from her grasp as her eyes landed on Vince and the gun he was currently holding. "Dayna Morelo," he said, taking a step towards her. She nodded, taking a step back. Vince motioned for her to step forward, but she shook her head no. "We just want to talk to you," he said, walking towards her. "We?" Dayna said, glancing over into the living room and recognizing the outline of another person in her living room chair.

Vince grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the living room, placing her in front of Dom. He turned on the lights and stood behind her, incase she tried anything funny. "You were at the mom and pop store down the street earlier tonight," Dom said, not moving a single muscle. Dayna shook her head, glancing back at the scary looking man behind her.

Dom threw her debit card at her feet and cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe you want to rethink your answer," he said. Dayna took in a deep breath and began to wring her hands together. "I went down for something to cool me down while I waited for the first coat of paint to dry. I guess I dropped my card and didn't notice," she said. Dom stood up and walked over to her, stretching out his neck along the way. "Try again," he replied, staring her down.

"I found her like that. I dropped my change and my card as I ran to the back of the store. It was ransacked and she was already shot when I got there. I called the ambulance and when they got there I took off," Dayna said. Vince took a step forward, pressing his gun into her back. "You didn't see who did it?" Vince asked, his voice sending shivers through her body.

Dayna shook her head and stared at the big man in front of her. "No, but she said the name Dom. I don't know if that'll be of any help to you," she replied. Vince nodded and took a step back, placing his gun into the waistband of his jeans. Dom nodded and unfolded his arms. He stepped back and motioned for Vince to start walking to the door. "I take it that I passed whatever test you put me through," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring Dom down in return.

"Don't get cocky," he replied, heading for the door. Dayna stared after him, murderous thoughts in her head.

---

"What happened?" Letty asked, as soon as Dom and Vince walked through the hospital room door. Dom ignored her and walked over to his sister's bedside, placing a kiss on her forehead. Letty glared over at V, expecting an answer. "She was the one that called the ambulance. Dayna claims that she didn't see anything, that she found her like that and only tried to help her," Vince said, walking over to Mia and taking her hand in his. "And?" Letty questioned further.

"Nothing. We left her at home safe and sound," Dom sarcastically replied. "Well Leon and Jesse are out asking the neighbors if they saw anything, which I doubt will turn up anything," Letty said, sitting at the foot of Mia's bed. The trio shared a silent prayer as they looked upon their fallen angel. "I promised myself that I would look after her," Dom whispered, the vein in his forehead looking as if it were about to burst. Letty reached over and rubbed his hand. "This could've easily happened to anyone, Dom. You can't beat yourself up for something you had no control over," Vince said, pulling up a chair to Mia's bedside.

Dom shook his head and sighed. "She shouldn't have been working today anyway. She was begging me to let her have the day off, but I was being such a hard ass with the books for the garage," he replied, almost at the brink of tears. Letty stood up from the bed and placed a hand on his arm. "We should go and get some rest. Vince will stay with her and tomorrow you can take the whole day off and come be with her," she whispered, leading him towards the door.

Dom nodded and placed a kiss on his sister's forehead once again. He nodded at Vince and exited the room after Letty. Vince got up and shut the door after they had left, pulling off his wifebeater and kicking off his shoes. He closed the curtains and turned off the light, returning to his position at her side. He placed his feet on top of her bed and placed his hands behind his head.

Vince felt at home in the small hospital room. With Mia there it felt sort of cozy. It reminded him of the summer before, when everything went bad for the team, especially him, and when Mia used to spend nights by his hospital bed also. "It's been an interesting day, Mia. Jessica called me this morning. I took her out to lunch, thinking she would give it up, but we just ended up eating some burgers. There goes $2.99 down the drain," Vince said, as he began to recount the day's events.

---

The nurse smiled softly, at the sight she came upon. As she had walked into Mia's room to administer her medication, she found Vince still sitting in his chair, with his head tilted back, lightly snoring. Mia had come to earlier in the morning, but the nurse decided to let what she thought were two lovers, rest. She injected Mia's medication into her IV line and left the room, returning 4 hours later to check up on her once again.

She found Mia watching the tall man sleep and chuckled to herself. "He's been here since yesterday, showed up with some smart mouthed girl and some tall, bald, sexy looking thing," the nurse whispered, as she looked over Mia's chart and began to check her over. Mia chuckled slightly and then winced from the pain. "That sexy looking thin would be my brother and the smart mouth would be his girlfriend and this would be his best friend," she replied, trying to sit up in bed, but instead received a stern look from the nurse.

"Take it easy and let prince charming here, do everything," the nurse replied, placing her chart back at the foot of the bed and exiting the room. Mia sighed and leaned back into her pillows, closing her eyes. "Prince charming, huh?" Vince asked, snapping Mia out of her daze. He sat up in the chair, stretching out his body. "Don't get too excited. You are far from it," Mia said, yawning.

"You want to tell me what happened so when Dom comes down here he doesn't jump down your throat," he said, reaching for his boots. "It all happened so fast, V. A group of guys came in a few minutes before I usually begin to close down. They had a while in front of the freezer, so I went back there to tell them I was going to close and this one guy pulls out a gun. They tear the store up expecting big money and next thing I know there's this girl trying to stop the blood, calling 911," she said, running her hand over her wounds.

"Yeah, me and Dom met up with her earlier. She's lucky Dom believed her story, if not, she'd probably be in a bed next to you," he said, sliding into his shirt. "WHAT?" Mia yelled, wincing at the strain she felt in her abdomen. "We paid her a little visit last night. We just wanted to make sure she didn't have anything to do with what happened down at the store," he replied.

"Vince, that was the biggest mistake you could've made," Mia said. Vince cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, staring straight at her, like as if asking why. "Three strikes and your out." His jaw went slack at the revelation that Mia had just made. "She's a cop?" He asked. Mia nodded. "She identified herself when she called, if not then I probably would've died waiting for an ambulance to come out to that side of the neighborhood."

Vince stood up from the bed and cursed. He thought back to the summer before and the lies Brian created to save the team's ass. Dom, Vince, Letty and Jesse had their license's revoked due to Brian's claim that their money came from street racing, with Dom catching a 2nd strike for various petty crimes Brian made up- anything to get Tanner off of Dom's ass. They had jumped the gun once again and soon enough the shit would hit the fan.

"Save him, Vince. Do something before it's too late," she whispered. Vince nodded and grabbed his keys and cell phone off of the side table. "I'll give him a call on my way," he replied. "On your way where?" She asked, leaning her head back into the pillow. "I'mma go pay Dayna another visit. Figure out some way to save our asses," he muttered, exiting the room. Mia stared after him and sighed, shaking her head softly. "Not again."


	3. Freedom

**Chapter 3: **Freedom

Vince ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He sat in the car and tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for the previous night's events. He climbed out of the car, feeling the full weight on his shoulders, his head bent low. He slapped a pair of sunglasses on and tried to iron out his slept-in shirt. As Vince climbed the steps to Dayna's house, he began to clear his throat, trying to get his thoughts together.

He knocked on the front door, hearing foots steps seconds after he pulled his hand away from it. Vince placed his hands deep in his pockets and watched as the front door opened slowly. Dayna stepped forward, a snarl on her face. She was currently clad in a pair of plaid boxers and a black tank top. Her hair was all over her face and the sweat was lining her forehead. "If you're not the air conditioning people and if you're selling some half-assed product, I'm not interested," she barked, taking a step back to close the door.

Vince cleared his throat, raising his head and looking straight at her. Dayna glanced back and looked at him, a light bulb going off in her head. "Came back for round two?" She said, leaning against the door frame. He shook his head and took in a deep breath. "I actually came to apologize for our behavior," he replied. Dayna laughed out loud and walked into the house, leaving him to follow. "And I shouldn't take your head off right now because?"

He walked into the living room after her, finding it to be seemingly in order. The boxes that once lined the walls were now gone, in it's place furniture and other items. The house had magically transformed from dark and drabby into warm and cozy. Vince looked around in awe at the fresh coat of light green paint that lined the walls and the fresh polished glow off of the hard wood floors. "Don't look too shocked. After your visit last night, I couldn't seem to fall asleep. I guess you could say I was deliberating whether or not to call the cops, have them lift your fingerprints off of the door and have them run it through the system, just so that I could fuck with you and your friend for a change," she said, taking a seat on the arm of the couch.

Vince opened his mouth to respond but was cut short. "Let me guess. You found out that I was a cop and came back to beg for your life, because 3 strikes is a bitch. You'll plead for my silence and in return you'll dedicate your life to me. Isn't that right, Vince?" He glanced over at her and watched her, an eyebrow up. "Ask the right people and you'll find out anything you need or want to know," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The basement needs new dry wall, the bathroom upstairs needs a new toilet, I want to do some rearranging upstairs so I'll need you to move the heavy crap, my car needs an oil change and new tires, and I'll need you to pick up the dry cleaning on your way back. And that's just for starters," she said, moving from her position and walking towards the kitchen. "Fine. Whatever, just give me the money so I can go," Vince barked, tugging at his hair.

"I never said my silence would come cheap."

---

Dom shook his head at the sight of Vince. "Did she tell you I called?" Mia asked, placing her bowl of Jell-O back on the tray. Vince's head snapped up and he groaned. "Let me guess, she took total advantage of you and has you working overtime?" Letty said laughing. "She owns us, dawg. She has me going over there straight after work and doesn't let me leave until 7 or 8 in the night. I have to do all the work and plus I pay for everything," he replied, leaning into his chair.

As Dom began to laugh, Mia glared at him. "The only reason why both of you aren't down at her house right now tacking up walls is because I begged her to let you off, just so that you could pick up the slack at the garage and the store without me," she said. Letty laughed in return and threw an arm around Dom. "Yeah, he's picking up the slack alright. All the man does is bark orders at me and Leon, while he has Jesse half-assing the books. He's not right in the head ever since you've been gone."

Mia stared daggers at Dom, shaking her head. "Jesse has no place near our books. Tomorrow I'll be back home and you guys can bring the books and papers by and I'll take care of them. Meanwhile, tell Jesse to stay away from the office and even farther away from the calculator," she replied, a grin on her face, "and then later on I'll swing by Vince's new master and properly introduce myself."

"HAHA," Vince said, standing up from his chair and stretching his body out. "Enlighten me, Vince. Does she make you iron her underwear also?" Letty asked. Vince gave her the finger as he planted a kiss on Mia's cheek. "I gotta go. Master wants me to do an oil change before she takes her car to work tomorrow," he said, patting Dom on the shoulder. "Good luck," Mia yelled out after he exited the room.

---

Dayna emerged from her car dressed in black slacks and a white dressy shirt. She was also sporting a pair of black boots and black sunglasses, her hair pin-straight. Vince did a double take as she made her way towards the porch, a scowl on her face. "You look very different," he said, leaning against the porch railing, a smug look on his face. "So every time I've seen you wearing just jeans and a tank, you've just been slumming it for the rest of the normal people. I can't believe it's the same Dayna that has me slaving away in her basement. You look like a regular hard-assed cop."

Dayna whipped her sunglasses off of her face and glared at him. "Which do you prefer Vince, me kicking your ass or some Lolita in prison putting one in your ass?" She barked. He held up his hands in surrender. "What's up your ass?" She huffed at his response and unlocked the door, walking into the house. "Just do your job, errand boy. It's all you're useful and every will be useful for, you damn low-life," she yelled, running up the stairs.

Vince stared after her, a confused look on his face. "What the fuck did I say now?"

---

He watched as a pair of flip-flopped feet came up to the car, setting a Corona next to him. Vince took in the light colored skin, the black toe nail polish and the silver pinky toe ring and took in a deep breath. Dayna sat down by his lower half, taking a swig from her own beer bottle. She tapped on his leg, motioning for him to roll out from underneath the car. Vince emerged, covered in dirt and grease. She smiled at him and passed him the beer bottle.

Vince sat up and watched her. "I come in peace, Vince. Trust me," she said, glancing up at the sky. "What was all that back there?" He asked, taking a swig. Dayna took in a deep breath and leaned against the car. "I'm a psychologist and I work for the police department. I'm the one that deals with the victims to help them get through their grief in order to get the case together. I'll also work with criminals in order to predict their behavior or sift through their bullshit to get to the truth. Work sometimes just gets too hectic for me. I see too many things daily that most people won't see in one lifetime. It's one of the reasons why I live by myself. Friends and family steer clear of me during the week. I'm only bearable when I'm not on the clock. I guess I just had some steam built up from today's workload and I just took it out on you," she said.

He nodded in understanding and watched her as a wave of sadness came over her. "It's tough, but you can't push people away because of your job Day. You need to find that balance between work and play," he replied. Dayna laughed out loud and grinned at him. "This coming from the man whose referred to as the coyote," she said. He groaned, taking a swig from his beer bottle. "Where the hell are you getting all this information from?"

"I called Mia today on my break. She gave me some pointers on how to put up with you," Dayna replied, standing up from her position on the ground. Vince tipped his beer bottle to her and finished it off, handing it to her. He rolled back underneath the car and began to tinker with it again. "Vince?" She asked. He replied with a grunt. "You know how you were saying that there's a balance between work and play? Well finish up the car and the last wall left on the basement and we'll call it even."

By the time Vince rolled out from underneath the car to make sure he had heard right, she was already inside the house. An hour later, Vince walked out of the house, a grin from ear to ear.

Freedom.


	4. Race Night

**Chapter 4**: Race Night

Mia smiled to herself as she took in a deep breath and inhaled the peculiar odor the house held. It was a mix of gasoline, sweat, sex and Lysol she held dear. Even though she was on bed rest and in a wheelchair to prevent her from walking, she couldn't help imagining herself rearranging the messy house. She was gone for a few days but even leaving the team alone for a few hours was dangerous.

Dom emerged from the top level of the house, with a white dressy shirt on. "I'm mad that you have us dressing up for this chick, when we haven't even invited her over for dinner yet," he muttered, ironing out his shirt. Mia sighed and began to tap her fingers on the wheelchair's arm rests. Seconds later, Vince entered the living room in a dark green shirt, jeans and his work boots, with Jesse in tow. Mia glanced down at his feet and frowned.

"What? I don't have any other shoes to wear," he said, finishing the buttons on his shirt. Jesse was dressed in a white dressy shirt, jeans, a black skinny tie, matching beanie and black converses. He did a full turn in front of Mia and grinned. "Perfect," she replied, nodding her head at his choice of attire.

"Vince go and round up Dayna. Dom go and get Letty down here so she can set the table. Jesse tell Leon to unglue himself from bed in order to grace us with his presence," she ordered, rolling her wheelchair into the kitchen. The trio of males spread out to do their assigned jobs, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Mia was definitely liking the fact that she could still control everything without lifting a finger. She was already planning on how to use it to her advantage. Pity would suit her.

---

After several minutes of knocking, Vince took the liberty of letting himself into the house, following the noises to the upstairs of the house and to the back room. Although the house was small, it had 4 floors including the basement. There was the 1st floor that held her kitchen, living room and dining room, the 2nd floor that held 2 bedrooms and a bath and the top floor that held a medium sized room that Dayna had transformed into an office.

Vince found her on all floors, in what she was trying to transform into the guest bedroom. She was currently sanding down the edges of the wall's molding. "I would've stayed and helped if you had asked," he said, leaning against the door frame.

Dayna froze and turned around slowly, taking in a deep breath at the sight of Vince. "I really need to get an alarm system and a dog. Maybe I should invest in the Chinese triads, offer them a nice, cozy place to stay," she muttered, throwing her sand paper down on the floor. "Why are you always so jumpy? If it's 'cause of the neighborhood, you don't need to worry. Me and Dom breaking in was only a one time thing. I've lived here all my life and that's the worst thing that's happened around here, well after Mia getting shot," he replied.

She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "I have a gun and a badge and I still don't feel safe in my own home. I guess it's just bad past experiences." Vince walked over to her and threw an arm around her shoulders. He began to walk her towards her bedroom. "If you ever need a strong, manly man like me to come over and hold down the fort, just feel free to call me."

Dayna scoffed and stood in front of her bedroom door. She removed herself from his side and stared him down. "The only manly men I need in my life is a Smith and Wesson and a Glock by my bedside. So, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you and your half-assed attempt to getting dressed up?" She asked.

V scowled at her and motioned to his outfit. "Half-assed?? This is as good as it gets hunnie, so don't push it. And I'm here to retrieve you for a dinner at the Toretto's. Letty might even wear a dress and Leon might even comb his hair, but that's maybe far too out of his grasp for dinner," he said. Dayna cocked her head to the side and sighed. She shook her head softly.

"I'm a mess, Vince. Maybe we should do this another night-", she began to say but was stopped short by a hand pushing her into the bedroom. "Slap some of that girlie crap on and some of those tall shoes. I'll be downstairs waiting. You have five minutes," he barked, disappearing downstairs.

---

Vince sat in front of the big screen television that he had helped Dayna bring in from the garage a week earlier. With a bag of chips in one hand and a Corona in the other, he kicked up his feet on the coffee table and began to pig out. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

He flipped around, dropping the bag of chips on the floor. Dayna laughed at the shocked expression on his face. Vince took in a deep breath and chugged down the rest of his beer. "Let's go," he barked at her, exiting the house. Dayna turned off the television, grabbing her keys and following him out.

By the time she exited the house, Vince was already half way down the block. She yelled out after him, but he continued to ignore her. She chased him down, running at fast as she could in her heels. Dayna managed to grab his arm, forcing him to look at her. "No comments on my outfit. The one I managed to throw on in less than two minutes?" She asked.

Vince glared at her, his jaw set like as if in stone. "Look, I'm sorry. I just thought it would be nice to scare you. I didn't know you would react like that," she pleaded. Vince's face soon broke out into a grin, a chuckle escaping. Dayna's fist soon found his arm. "You fucker!"

"You look nice, Day. Just thought it would get you out of the house faster," he replied, grabbing her hand and walking towards the house. "Do I at least look presentable?" She asked, forcing him to stop and glance at her outfit. Vince eyed her from head to toe. She was dressed in a black strapless dress that stopped mid thigh. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her makeup was simple- mascara and eyeliner. Dayna slapped some lip gloss on, along with a pair of black flats.

It was at that moment that something came over him, something which he had no control over. Vince stepped to her, swiftly wrapping an arm around her waist, bringing his mouth next to her ear. "You look gorgeous, Day. If it wasn't for the fact that I plan to see your face every day for the rest of my life, I would probably take you right here and right now, but I'm going to do it right," he whispered, his hand finding it's place in hers.

He squeezed it gently, secretly hoping to have her squeeze back but she didn't. Vince stepped back and cleared his throat. Dayna watched him, a confused look on her face. She opened her mouth to offer some explanation, but nothing seemed to come out. "You don't need to say anything, just give me a chance," Vince said, grabbing her hand and leading her down the street.

---

They all sat around the picnic table, as the sun was setting. Dayna watched as the team, as they liked to be called, interacted with each other. She picked up on the roles they had and smiled. They were one big happy family. Dom was the father, he took care of everything and everybody. Mia was the mother you always wanted. Letty was the sister who got along with everybody. Jesse was the sweetheart of the family, the brother that looked up to everyone else. Vince was the bad boy that always got in trouble and Leon was his sidekick. It truly was a messed up version of the Camdens.

After dinner, Mia and Dayna found themselves alone out on the front porch, discussing the fateful night. "Life has handed us one wrong turn after another. The only reason why all of us are sane is because we count on each other to help us pull through, but that night was the first time I had been truly scared. No one was there to help or protect me. Not Dom or Vince, and they've been there since the beginning of time for me. I'm so grateful you came in when you did and saved me, Dayna," Mia said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Anytime, girl. Just keep on instructing Jesse and Letty on how to make them mashed potatoes and I'll keep saving you time and time again," Dayna replied, standing up from her seat and stepping down from the porch. "Where you going?" Mia asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Home, I guess," Dayna said, shrugging.

"Girl it's race night. You ain't going nowhere but to the warehouses and back here for the after party."

---

"Vince, I'm a cop. I don't think it's very professional of me to get arrested for attending the local street races," Dayna said, glancing out of every window she found in the car. V took in a deep breath and began to push the speed limit. "Relax. Leon watches the scanners, so as soon as we hear word that there's something up, we all split up and make our way home."

She nodded, pulling the seatbelt closer to her body. "You mean to tell me that were you come from they don't have street races?" Dayna glanced over to him and smiled. "I'm from Compton, V. Street races were the least of my worries," she replied, shifting in her seat, moving her body towards the A/C vents. Vince in return cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head, while maintaining his focus on the road.

For a few moments, the car held an awkward silence, which none of them knew how to fill up. "So… you've been racing long?" Dayna asked, facing him. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Dom's dad was a racer. We sort of just followed in his footsteps and took the trade on." She nodded her head and watched the streets go by in one big blur. "I'm surprised you guys haven't gone pro yet. You seem to have a knack for this sort of thing."

"You don't know?" Vince asked, watching her. "Know what?" Dayna pulled her cell phone out of her bra and checked the time, placing it back in it's place and looking back at him. "About us? Our backgrounds?" She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Why? Is there something I should know?" She asked.

"Oh boy," Vince muttered pulling the car into a dark alley that spread out into a big open lot behind some abandoned warehouses. He parked the car next to Jesse's and gave her a look before climbing out. Dayna got out of the car and walked around it before Vince even had a chance to close the door. "What should I know about you guys?" She demanded, stepping in his way.

"Just let it go, Dayna. After this is all over I'll drive you back to your pretty little life and we can forget tonight ever happened," he barked, walking around her. Dayna stood her ground and came face to face with me. "I'm going to find out as soon as I get home, so you might as well save me the time and effort and tell just tell me," she replied.

Vince glared at her and scowled. He shook his head and simply brushed by her, leaving her staring after him. Leon appeared after him, a questioning look on his face. "It's just him. Give him a few hours and he'll be back to normal," he said.

An hour later, the races were over and Leon and Dayna were leaning against his car. As everyone got into their respective cars, Day found herself inside of Leon's car. As they pulled out of their parking space, she caught a glimpse of Vince standing by his car, watching them.

He had pushed her away and straight into Leon's arms.


	5. The Truths of Heart 2 Hearts

**Chapter 5:** The Truths of Heart 2 Hearts

Leon didn't know and he thought he shouldn't know V's business, that's why he didn't bother asking what the fight was over. So he found himself dancing with Dayna and soon after found himself downing shots with her. The pair were shit faced and were currently giggling over something totally ridiculous. "So do you want to tell me what happened that was so bad that Vince refuses to tell me?" She asked, pouring him another shot of vodka.

He knocked it back and coughed. "So that's what the fight was about?" Dayna nodded and stood up from the table and stretched. "That's something you need to discuss with him and him only," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Fine then," she barked, exiting the kitchen and heading into the living room. She searched high and low for him in every corner and began to get frustrated when she couldn't find him. "He's downstairs in his room," Mia yelled at her over the music. She currently had two bottles of Snapple in her hand and was making her way up the stairs. Dayna nodded and made her way through the sweaty throng of people in the living room.

She descended down the stairs and found herself in a dark basement. She came face to face with 3 doors and was scared to open any of them. The doors could lead to naked bodies, stuck together in the heat of passion. Only one of the doors had a faint light coming from underneath it, the other were both closed and there was no signs of life coming from behind it. She settled for the latter and made her way to the first door, the one with the light on.

She knocked softly and placed her hand on the doorknob. After a second knock and no response, she turned the knob slowly, opening the door couple of inches. She didn't dare to look inside, but instead waited for a voice to tell her to get the fuck out. Since she received no response once again, she opened the door further and stuck her head inside.

She smiled softly as she found Vince sitting in the corner of the room, a guitar in his lap, staring right at her. "What is it?" He barked, placing the guitar on the floor beside him. Dayna entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She walked into the middle of the room and drank his essence in. The room currently was furnished with a king sized bed, a dresser and what appeared to be a small desk. Clothes, shoes and CDs were thrown all over the room. The only corner of the room that appeared to be in order was a corner that held three guitars in their stands.

"Did you come downstairs to make fun of my room and the conditions of which I live in? Maybe I should save face and just beat you to the punch," he said, standing up and motioning around the room. "This is it. My corner in the Toretto household. The ceiling's only about 2 feet above your head, so please don't stretch too much. If you plan on getting any sleep I suggest you head to your car because when they start taking showers upstairs you won't get a wink of sleep. What else can I beat you to?"

Dayna crossed her arms over her chest and watched him. "What's her name?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Who?" He said, mimicking her stand. "I'm guessing the girl or whoever it was that told you, you wasn't good enough. The one that came along and made you want to wish you were someone else, when you were completely happy with who you were and where you were in your life," she replied.

"You're drunk," he said, dismissing her idea. He waved her away and made his way towards the door. Vince opened the bedroom door and held it open for her. "Go home. You don't belong here," he said, motioning for her to leave. Dayna laughed and shook her head. "I'm tipsy, not drunk and it doesn't take a sexy, beast of a genius like me to figure it all out. You think that because you have car grease underneath your fingernails and because you don't own your own house and maybe because you have a past you don't want anyone to know about, people will just ignore you and write you off as the bad ass you are dying to be in order to run away from," she said, sitting on the corner of the bed.

Vince slammed the door shut and sighed. "This heart to heart isn't going to happen, so you might as well give up," he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "A weekly manicure and washing your hands after every oil change will remove the dirt from underneath your fingernails. A mortgage or a lease will get you out of your depression and you don't have to be so tough all the time. And about the heart to heart, you subconsciously closed the door, meaning that underneath it all you do want me to stay and fix everything. If you didn't, you would've kept bitching and moaning until I left or physically removed me instead of giving up and sighing."

He stared at her and shook her head. "Originally there was six of us, but last summer Brian showed up and we accepted him into our family. We were racing more than ever, but the money wasn't covering everything. The store and the garage wasn't pulling in enough to cover the expenses that we had for the performance parts for the cars. So we came up with the plan to highjack trucks that were carrying electronics. We didn't think to calculate Brian's appearance with our other illegal activities and he turned out to be an undercover cop that was sent to take us down. By the end of the summer, I was hanging off of a truck with half of my body tied up in a wire, bleeding to death. Jesse almost died after a drive by because of some stupid war Dom had with the Trans and Dom, Leon and Letty were forced to flee to Mexico for a couple of weeks while Brian lied about the heists and lost his badge for us. Mia took care of everything while they were gone," he said.

Dayna nodded and smiled once again at him. "Including you right?" Vince grunted. "Don't try to psychoanalyze me," he barked. She scoffed and jumped off from the bed. "Let me guess. In the beginning you took care of everything, then you became the bad ass friend that kept everyone in line and then someone took over for you. And now your lost."

She walked over to him and came face to face with him. "Don't treat me like one of your cases, where you sit down and read everything off of the folder and make snap decisions because at the end of the day it's not your life on the line," he said, a scowl on his face. Day shook her head and sighed. "You're not a case, Vince. No one is just a case to me. You're here now and that's what matters. You only become a case when you give up and I'm forced to close the folder and move on. And when that happens, YOU make YOURSELF a case," she said. Dayna placed a kiss on Vince's lips and headed to the door.

---

Mia sat on the couch and grabbed on to her side, trying to stop herself from laughing. Dayna glanced over and flipped her the finger. "It wasn't my fault, even though I should've warned you to lock the bedroom door. Leon and Jesse tend to pick on the smaller and slower ones," she said, watching as Day picked out the dry shaving cream the boys had applied to her hair.

Vince emerged from the living room with a hot cup of coffee in his hand. He groaned when he spotted Day on the couch. "You put her upstairs in the back bedroom and you expect nothing bad to happen," he said, sitting down next to Mia and placing a kiss on her cheek. "What got into you?" Mia asked, taking the cup of coffee from him and taking a sip. He shrugged and glanced at the floor.

Sensing the awkward tension in the room, Dayna stood up and smiled at Mia. "Well, I'm gonna go home and undo Jesse and Leon's mess, but I will be back with vengeance," she said, heading out the door. Mia watched as she exited the room before slapping Vince upside the head. "Whatever you did, fix it." Vince glared at her and stood up from the couch, following Day.

"Don't do that," Dayna said, sensing Vince behind her. "Do what?" She stopped walking and faced him. "Don't do this. Don't try to fix something that's not broken, because in the end all you're going to do is break it," she said. Vince shook his head and took a step back. "I really don't know where I stand for you. One minute you care and the other you don't."

She scoffed and shook her head. "I care, Vince, but that's why I haven't made my move or let you make yours yet, because one minute your talking about lifetimes and the next minute you're wearing your heart on your sleeve. Even a drunken, blind idiot can see that you have so many issues going on right now that you could make your own teenage soap opera."

"Whatever," he muttered, turning to walk away. "I see it in your eyes Vince. I do this for a living. I'm the only person you can't lie to or hide from. You love her but it's killing you inside that you want to change but you're scared to. I'm not Brian or whatever his name was. I'm not here to sabotage your life, but it wouldn't matter anyway because you're doing a good enough job of that already."

He turned sharply and glared at her, his body seething with rage. For a second, he could've sworn he saw fear flash in her eyes, that's when he chose to turn away and go back to his hole in the Toretto basement. She stared after him, expecting a bigger fight from him, but decided to let it go.

The dry shaving cream was making her head itchy.


	6. Pre Game

**Chapter 6:** Pre-Game

Leon climbed out of bed and ran up the stairs, still clad in basketball shorts. He ran into the living room and cursed as he almost ran into Jesse, who in turn was running into the kitchen. "Le, can I get a ride to the garage, I can't find my car keys," Jesse mumbled, opening kitchen cabinets and peering inside. "Yeah, hurry up though. I think I must've forgot to set the alarm last night or something. I'm 2 hours late for work and Dom is going to shit bricks," Leon replied, reaching into a laundry basket that was in a corner of the living room. "Me too," Jesse said, emerging from the kitchen with a PopTart in tow and heading out of the front door.

Mia sat on the couch, giggling to herself. They had been oblivious to her and she was enjoying it so much. Dayna's plan had worked.

---

Dayna dropped her keys on the coffee table. As usual, the California weather was making her cranky. It was hot, humid and it looked like it was about to rain. She kicked off her heels and threw her bag on the floor, files from today's case load slipping out. She unbuttoned her black dressy shirt, revealing the white tank top she was wearing underneath. Day walked into the kitchen, waving air into her sweaty face with her hand. She grabbed a Corona bottle from the fridge and made her way towards the backyard. She leaned against the open door, letting the summer breeze cool her down.

She thought back to the group of people she had met a couple of months ago and how at home she felt with them. They were all mixed up and confused with themselves, but they pulled it together and took care of each other. She had pulled their police records and found that Vince had been telling the truth about the heists. Day was shocked when she found out about Dom's violent outburst with Linder. In her eyes, he seemed controlled, but when you're in shock, anything can happen.

Letty only had a couple overnighters for fighting in public and Leon for street racing. Jesse and Mia were clean, but then again they were the youngest and the innocent of the bunch. Vince on the other hand had a record for racing and fighting in public. He also had a juvie record a mile long. Her guess was that he got smart and decided not to get caught anymore as soon as Dom got locked up, because that's when his record stopped.

Dayna considered dropping all communication with the Toretto clan, due to the fact that it was in her nature to help people. That's why she believed she let them fall into her life so easily, but everything worked out perfect for them. She didn't know if it was all a front and she didn't want to find. They seemed happy with their lives. Just like she had told Vince, she kept repeating to herself- don't try to fix something that's not broken.

A vibrating sound rang out through the room and she glanced down at the cell phone clipped to her belt. She unclipped it and found a text message. **BBQ 2nite. 7. B dere or b square - Mi**. Dayna smiled at Mia's choice of words and didn't expect any different. She had come to find that Dom was famous for his BBQs and had them at least once a week- usually on Sundays. It was Friday, so her guess was that tonight was going to be a good night on the race scene.

She cocked her head to the side and considered making an appearance. She hadn't seen Mia the whole week and hadn't interacted with the rest of the team for the last 2 weeks. The precinct recently had an increase in crime and they had her working overtime. They had pulled her off of her usual desk duty and had her hitting the streets, talking to witnesses and victims, trying to piece together the recent crime wave that was going on.

Dayna clipped her cell phone back into her belt and headed on inside the house, in search of an outfit that wouldn't have her feeling like a "square".

---

The team sat in silence, staring each other down, waiting for the first idiot to reach for the food. Just as Vince began to reach for the first piece of chicken, Dayna walked in with a duffle bag in tow. She threw it down next to an empty seat and plopped down into it, all smiles. "Sorry I'm late guys. I only had time to grab some clothes and come over. I've been working overtime for the last couple of days," she blubbered out, smacking Vince's hand away from the chicken and reaching for the top piece.

"Ah ha!" Jesse yelled, pointing at her. "You got the first piece of chicken, so you have to say grace. House rules," Mia said, shrugging her shoulders. "First off, I don't believe in God, but for your sake I'll say a little something something," Dayna said, clearing her throat and clasping her hands together. They quieted down and bowed their heads. "God, we give thanks for friends and family, food and booze and everything else under the sun that brings us pleasure, including Jesse's sexy ass."

The table erupted in laughter and Dom shook his head, with a smirk on his face. Jesse blushed and Leon poked him in the side. "So what's up with the attire?" Letty asked, motioning to her work clothes. Dayna glanced down at her blue dressy shirt, black pencil skirt and black heels. "The dressy attire is mandatory, which is such a bore," she replied, piling mashed potatoes on her plate. "What about that black tank and the cleavage missy?" Leon asked, motioning to her chest with a piece of chicken in his hand.

"What is this, pick on Dayna Day? What about Mia's tattoo? Huh?" She yelled out, winking at Mia. Mia in return dropped her fork and threw her head in her hands. "WHAT?" Dom barked, his head flipping towards Mia. Mia shook her head and glared at Day before standing up and revealing to them a tattoo she had gotten last week. "It's really small and I never show my belly so no one will know," she said. The tattoo resembled a henna creation. It was simple and small and surrounded her belly button.

Dom shook his head and continued to eat. "Is there anything else I should know?" He asked sarcastically, taking a swig from his beer. The rest of the table shook their heads and returned to their food. "I can't believe you snitched on me," Mia said, flipping Day the finger. "Well, you said you didn't know how to tell him. Look he only had a minor stroke, so everything's good. Now you and Vince can sleep with both your eyes closed," she replied in her defense.

Dom glanced at his best friend and scowled. "You took her didn't you?" Vince downed his beer and burped loudly. "She threatened me. If I didn't take her, she said she wouldn't do the laundry for the rest of the month. I was running out of clean shirts," he said. Dom shook his head and continued digging into his food. "Well at least we know she's a true Toretto. Only a Toretto can thug V into doing anything," Letty said, flicking a piece of lettuce at Vince.

As Vince began to retaliate with a piece of corn, Dom raised his hands. "Enough. Can we eat in peace this one time?" He yelled. The table quieted down and began to shovel food away fast.

The king had spoken.

---

Dayna dried the last dish and placed it in the cupboard, the front of her dress shirt all wet from suds. "You sure it won't stain?" Mia asked. D shrugged and threw the dish towel on the counter. "It doesn't matter. I own this same exact shirt in about every color under the sun," she replied, grabbing her duffel bag and heading for the stairs. "I'm going to head up stairs into your room and shower and change. You coming?"

Mia nodded and followed her up the stairs. 45 minutes later, the 2 girls stood in front of Mia's mirror, doing their makeup. As they worked in silence, Mia kept glancing over at Day. "Is there something the matter?" D asked, after catching her watching her various times. "I can't stop thinking about him," Mia whispered.

D smiled and glanced at her friend. "Who? V?" Mia froze and scowled at D, before smacking her on the arm. "Ewww. No. Brian," she replied. D looked at her with a confused face and placed the last finishing touches on her smoky eyes. "Explain."

"When Brian showed up, we started seeing each other. I fell in love and then BAM, he was gone. I wish we had all paid attention when Vince said he was a cop in the beginning, then we could've skipped so much bullshit. Jesse wouldn't be in pain like always, Leon wouldn't have developed that drug habit, Letty wouldn't have lost the baby and she would probably still be able to have babies and Vince wouldn't be having those nightmares," Mi said. Dayna sighed and watched her friend.

"Vince didn't tell me all of that, but that definitely explains a whole lot. And for the Brian situation, I can only recommend time and fun, Mia. That's all there is to it," she said. Mia passed her some lip gloss and sighed. "How much time?" Dayna shrugged and threw an arm around her, as they looked into the mirror. "It could be tonight or maybe Christmas Eve or maybe two years from now, but you won't know until you go out there and test the waters. You'll know when you're rid of his memories because something inside of you will push you towards someone else. Let your gut feeling lead you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Mia smiled and took a step back, giving her the once over. "Not your average racer chaser outfit, but it's definitely sexy," she said. "Ahh, my darling. I'm not the one doing the chasing tonight," D replied, striking a pose in front of the mirror. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her makeup was simple- smoky eyes and lip gloss. She was currently dressed in black flats, white low rise capris, and a black wifebeater that cut off right above her belly button, which was adored with a diamond stud. The capris were so low you could read the tattoo that was written a few inches underneath her belly button. THE WORLD IS YOURS. Next to those words was a small Tinkerbell- fairy wand and all.

Dom's booming voice was heard from downstairs, signaling that the rest of the crew was ready. D glanced over at Mia, who was dressed in a baby blue sundress and matching heels. "You ready?" She smiled and opened her bedroom door. "ALRIGHT ALREADY!" She bellowed down to Dom. Mia turned around and winked at Day, before beginning the descent downstairs.


	7. Game Night

**Chapter 7**: Game Night

Dayna stood on the porch steps, wondering about her dilemma. Everyone was jumping into the respective cars and she wasn't. She was hoping Mia would ask her to ride in her car, but she was one of the firsts pulling out. By the time she noticed what was going on it was too late- Vince was the only one left. He brushed past her and walked over to his car, unlocking it. "You getting in or what?" He mumbled, climbing into the driver's side. Dayna thought twice before getting in, but she decided she had gotten dolled up for no reason.

She climbed into the car and strapped herself in, while Vince peeled out of the driveway. 5 minutes into the drive, Vince glanced over at her. "Why so quiet, doc?" He asked, shifting. Day shook her head and shrugged. "Really tired, I guess," she said, staring straight ahead. "It's Ladies night, so Dom figured he treat Letty tonight to a race after he races, so we should be done in about an hour or so," he replied.

The two settled into an uncomfortable silence after that, just listening to the car glide through the streets. "You look nice," Vince whispered, as if not trusting himself. D nodded and kept looking ahead. "What's the problem?" He asked. She shook her head and shrugged. "I'm just really tired, V. Don't take it personal," she replied. "Well if you're gonna be a total bitch you should've just stayed home."

Day turned sharply and glared at him. "One, we sound like a married couple you jackass and two, don't ever call me a bitch, you fucking reject," she said dryly. V grunted and gripped onto the steering wheel tightly. "One, if we're gonna be married, you have to wear that little tight skirt of yours to bed and two, I've only been rejected once in my life and three, you look so hot when you're angry."

D scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You want me to ruin my favorite black Donna Karen skirt?" She placed a look of fear on her face and shook her head. "I'm glad you're only scared about the skirt, not about what I'm going to do to you in the skirt," he replied. "Never engage in battle of wits with a person who is unarmed, that's what my boss always says."

Vince pulled a hard turn, sending her into the door. "HEY! Not fair! You never told me you liked it rough," she said, a grin on her face. "What happened to being tired and all that other female bullshit?" He asked. Day scoffed. "Female bullshit? I've been working 15 hour days for the last week and a half. It's not fun running around with criminals and convicts all day. Plus I am tired, that's why you're not getting any tonight. I HAVE A HEADACHE," she replied.

He chuckled and pulled into the dark alleyway where the races were held. "You run around with us all the time and you never complain," he said, pulling the car into a parking space. Before Day could give him a piece of her mind, he shifted into park and climbed out of the car. She followed suit and went around the car, poised to fight with him. Vince wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body close to his. He leaned in close and she felt his hot breath on her neck. "Keep looking at me like that because at the rate me and you are going, I'll be the one with a headache by the end of the night, wifey," he whispered.

Day glanced down at his lower half and chuckled. "You can bet on that," she whispered, before turning around, making sure her ass rubbed against him, and walking off towards Mia.

---

"So you and V, huh?" Mia asked. Day leaned on Mia's car and grinned. "You remember that feeling I was telling you about?" Mia busted out laughing. Letty threw an arm around Day and scowled. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you. And then I'll bury the body in the backyard, pour a layer of concrete over you and make the boys a basketball court," she said. D laughed and looked at Mia for support. "You're on your own," she said, walking away and leaving a scowling Letty staring down a scared Dayna.

---

It was the usual set up. Toretto team races and the Toretto team wins. There was nothing new to it and definitely no variation to it this time around. Everyone knew that anything Dom touched, turned to gold. He had personally hand picked the people on his team, the only one that seemed out of place was Mia- but then it again, it was his baby sister.

The after party was the usual also. No variation there. Racers show up, skanks follow. Beer and music flow like water. The party usually didn't die down until Letty requested a massage from Dom, or the other way around, but tonight variation would stem from that. Letty didn't want to give or receive a massage, while Dom on the other hand was insisting.

Letty cut her eyes at Dom and took another sip from her beer. "Find one of your skanks Dom. That's what they are there for anyways. Just leave me alone," she said, pushing him away and walking into the kitchen. Dom turned to Dayna, who was sitting on her couch talking to Jesse, and scowled at her. "Talk to your homebody. She's way out of line," he said. D shook her head and sighed. "Maybe you should just give her the space she's asking you for," she replied.

"You don't know half of the shit me and her have been through," he said. "Apparently neither do you, because if you did maybe you wouldn't let her see you with 10 different girls hanging off of your arm in one night. It would make a girl think about what happens when she's not there to beat them off of you." Dom stood up straight and glared at her, anger flashing in his eyes. He then simply turned and walked off towards the other end of the house.

---

As Dayna made her way in search of Letty, a pair of arms grabbed her, pushing her down the stairs. She turned around and found Vince, with a shit eating grin on his face. "Hey wifey," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Listen hubby, I have to go find Letty-" Vince hushed her and smiled. "Letty can take care of herself, it's not the first time her and Dom have this fight. It happens about every 12 to 24 hours," he said, pushing her into his room.

D entered the room and found the room spotless compared to how it was the last time she was there. "I sacrificed the party and cleaned up," he whispered, coming up from behind her and wrapping his arms around her. Vince had lit vanilla scented candles placed all over the room and he had fluffed his pillows and made the bed, making the room looking warm and inviting. "You did this all by yourself for me?" D asked, not believing the dramatic change.

"Well Mia doesn't know we stole her candles, but as long as we have them back before she showers it's all good," he said, placing soft, wet kisses on her neck and shoulders. Day turned around and faced him, still in shock. "Hubby, thanks for the thought but I don't-" Once again, she was silenced, but this time by his mouth crushing hers.

Vince kissed her gently, his tongue exploring how sweet she tasted. His hands found their way to the bottom of her back, kneading away all the tension she had accumulated over the week. Day wrapped her long, slender fingers in his hair and bit his bottom lip gently, causing him to mutter a curse. She pulled away, breathless, only to be pulled closer to him. "You're a one night stand type of guy, V. I'm not into that," she whispered. V shook his head and kissed her plump lips. "You said all I needed was change. I can and I want to change," he replied.

Day shook her and stared into his eyes. "I don't want to be your little experiment, Vince. All we have right now is lust. We don't know each other at all." He sighed and cleared his throat. "We're both adults here, Dayna. If it was just lust, we would've fucked already and you would be sound asleep in your bed right now. But I feel you, right here," he said, placing his hand on the bottom of her stomach.

And with that one touch, she felt him too.

---

Dayna stirred in bed with a fully clothes Vince lying next to her. They had spent the night talking about random things, while they explored each other as far as they could without taking their clothes off. She turned and looked at the beautiful man lying next to her and smiled. But her smile was instantly replaced with a worried frown as she saw his calm face morph into one of pain. His left hand went up to his right arm, grabbing it tightly. She watched as he began to grunt in pain and tears slip out from his closed eyes.

_The nightmares Mia was talking about. _"Vince," she whispered softly, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. When that didn't help, she placed her body over his, placing her hand over his left one, grabbing on to his arm also. She kept whispering his name and rubbing his arm, hoping to bring him out of his nightmare gently. "Hubby, wake up," she whispered, rubbing his arm and placing kisses on it.

Vince woke up with a start, his body shaking as a cold sweat took over. Dayna wrapped her arms around him, trying to envelope his body with hers. She felt his body shake harder and then realized he was crying. "It's okay," she whispered, cradling his head in her arms. He shook his head and kissed her forehead. "I'll protect you," she whispered, rubbing his arm.

After a few minutes, he managed to calm down, the only tell tale sign that he had been crying was his tear stricken face. "You scared me hubby," she whispered, running her fingers over his jaw line. Vince nodded and placed his head in the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

They held each other until they fell asleep once again.


	8. Overtime

**Chapter 8**: Overtime

Dayna crawled out of bed, her head spinning. She grabbed on to her head, trying to steady it and along with it herself. When it didn't work, she knew what was going to happen soon- she would have to throw up. She grabbed her cell phone from the night stand and flipped it open, revealing 5 missed phone calls, all from the captain at the precinct. The clock on the nightstand read 11 AM, meaning she probably only got about 6 hours of sleep. Day groaned loudly, she didn't know if it was stemming from her hangover or from the fact that she had to go to work on a Saturday morning. Overtime was a bitch.

She glanced back at the body in the bed and leaned over, placing a kiss on his cheek. Vince stirred and glanced over at her, his eyebrows burrowing together. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I have to go," she whispered, standing up from the bed and putting her shoes on. "Why? You can stay if you want," he said, sitting up in bed.

D dangled her phone in his face before leaning over and giving him a quick tap on the lips. "I'm on overtime duty again, hubby. I'll be back before you know it," she said, heading for the door. Vince flopped back on the bed and groaned, slapping himself on the head. Dayna chuckled and exited the room, in search of a shower, a change of clothes and some energy to deal with people crazier then her.

---

Vince slammed the hood of the car shut and grunted. "One down, two more to go," he muttered, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He turned around and found Leon looking at him questioningly. "Dawg, it's three o'clock in the afternoon. You've been here since noon, working nonstop when we usually open now. Either this girl put a hurting on you or you're missing your boo," he said, throwing a rag in his face. Vince slapped the rag away and headed to the office, in search of a cold drink.

He walked in and found Letty stretched out on a old couch Dom had put in, reading an import car magazine. He grabbed a cold Corona from the fridge and plopped down next to her, nodding in her direction. "We have to do something about Mia," she said, shutting her magazine for emphasis. Vince looked over, with an eyebrow cocked.

"Anyone can see she's just lying around moping," Letty said. He took a swig from his beer and licked his lips. "She's healing, Let. That takes time and a lot of pain," he replied. She sat up and came face to face with him. "Face it, V. She's not hurting over the bullet hole, she's hurting over the buster. When have you ever seen Mia just lay around the house? Even when she had her appendix removed, the girl was up giving everyone orders."

Vince rolled his eyes and finished off his beer. He stood up from the couch and chucked the bottle into the garbage can. "She's fine, Letty. She's just bouncing back from something scary." Letty shook her head and stood up from the couch, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "She's not fine, Vince. She's far from it. No one in this cracked out family is fine after everything we've been through. We just have to stick together and hold each other's hand. It's the only way we can be saved," she said.

"So what do you want me to do? Tell me how I'm supposed to save this fucked up family, Let!" He said loudly. She faced him, coming toe to toe with him. "When Dom was gone you fixed us, now do it again! Take her out or something. Be there for her! Talk to Jesse and Leon for God's sake. Let Dom know that not everything is his fault. Leave your fucking room for once! Just make this all go away."

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He closed his eyes and balled his fists up, frustrated as fuck. "You don't see what's going on here because you're never here, V. It's like your body is here but your mind isn't. You're not even the same anymore, Vincent. Jesse's cutting himself again and Dom won't even touch me. He's cheating again. He comes home at all times of the night and sneaks out after his secretive phone calls. I've been doing laundry in Mia's place and I found all types of pills in Leon's pockets. Mia's been crying herself to sleep every night and I've heard you cry out in your sleep, V. You need to do something."

"What about you, Nicolette? What about your fucking problems?" He yelled in her face. "I'M FUCKING LEAVING!" She yelled back, tears streaming down her face. Vince stepped back and stared at her. Letty nodded and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm leaving as soon as I feel that everyone's fine, Vince. I can't take this shit anymore," she whispered.

Vince wrapped his arms around her, as she cried with her face burrowed in his chest. Vince knew that Letty would never leave the only family she had if she had no other choice. He hadn't noticed how bad things were. She was right, all he did was stayed holed up in his room. He was angry all the time and never wanted to deal with people and their bullshit.

"I'll fix it, Letty. I'll fix it all and make it better," he whispered, rubbing the top of her head.

---

Dayna sat down in the chair, smiling kindly at the woman in front of her. "I'm here to listen. Anything you want to tell me is fine. There is no obligation for you to say anything relevant to the case that is being brought up against you. We can just sit here and talk about anything," she said, pulling out a folder and a pen from her bag.

The lady in front of her smiled kindly, but soon after it her smile turned into a sneer. Day watched her, taking in her appearance and her body language. The woman was in her late 20s, Asian and had black hair. Her body was long and slender, with a hint of a recent tan. She reeked of class but there was a hint of danger. Her nails were freshly manicured and her clothing was expensive. Dayna recognized the Donna Karen perfume she wore and the Jimmy Choo shoes she was wearing. She had the same exact taste and knew how much of dent it put in her wallet.

The lady stared at Dayna, her stare was cold and empty, like as if challenging D to evoke some sort of emotion within. Dayna knew the type and knew how to play the game. This girl was definitely covering up for somebody. She barely weighed 135 and by the way she was sitting, she had no defensive training or anything that would allow her to bash in the head of the 250 pound man she was currently being accused of killing, along with three other people on the other side of town.

Dayna stared straight at her, not moving a muscle. It was the third time she had come to visit her, each time trying a different tactic, but truth be told, Day was fed up with her. She had better things to do, a hangover to sleep off and case files to work on. "Listen, Barbie, I have other people to fuck around with today. So if you feel like speaking, then please do, if not let me know so I'll go deal with some other nut case. You're only hurting yourself by being a little bitch. Once I hand in my evaluation and move on to another person, you have no chance of copping a plea or getting out of this shit hole," she barked, standing up from the table and closing her folder. D gave her one last look before heading for the door.

"My name is Trisha Tran and I killed those men. I enjoyed it and I'll probably do it again."

---

Vince buttoned up the last button on his dressy shirt as he knocked on Mia's door. "Mi, can I come in?" He asked, before turning the knob. He stuck his head in the room and found Mia stretched out on her bed, reading a book. She glanced up briefly and smiled at him, before returning her gaze back to her book.

"I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight," he said, leaning against her dresser. She looked over at him, all dressed up. "What? Just the two of us?" She replied, sitting up in bed. Vince nodded and fixed his cuffs. "I don't have time for your cracked out escapades, V," she said, getting back to her book.

He took in a deep breath and slapped his hands together. "Get up. Get changed. Be down stairs in 30 minutes, or I'll come up and I'll drag you out of the house just like you are." V walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He stood in front of the door, listening carefully. He heard her curse quietly and begin to shuffle around the room. He smiled to himself and began his descent downstairs.


	9. The Reality of Hearts 2 Hearts

**Chapter 9**: The Reality of Heart 2 Hearts

Dayna held the icepack to her face and cursed silently. The lieutenant pushed her into a chair and knelt down to look at the damage. "She did a number on you," he whispered, passing her another ice pack for her throat. A mere 5 minutes ago, everything in the interrogation room was kosher. The two girls were talking normally. Trisha Tran was describing her up bringing to Dayna and from one second to the next, she had flipped out on her. The smaller asian girl reached out and grabbed Dayna by her hair, banging her head into the table. As Day reached for her gun at her side, Trisha punched her in her throat. Day retaliated with a swift punch in her gut, forcing the smaller girl to fall on her back.

As Trisha got up to retaliate, Day gave her two kidney shots, forcing the girl back on to the floor. That's when the lieutenant came in and found Day on top of her, hitting her with all she had. "Take a couple of days off," the lieutenant said, standing up and walking to the door. "WHAT? Lieu she attacked me!" She yelled out, standing up and throwing the ice packs on the floor. "You're lucky we like you around here or else I would be asking you for your gun and badge right now. Did you see her face? You're lucky I walked in there and got you off of her or I'd be locking you up instead of her," he replied.

She scoffed and cursed. "Just take a couple of days off. Go to the emergency room and check to see if your nose is broken. Take a vacation. You've been working overtime for the last couple of weeks. I'll call you in about a week," he said, waving around the room. "We were talking about her brothers when she flipped out. I think they have something to do with the guy she beat to death. And another thing, there's no way in hell she took down that 250 pound guy. She could barely take me down and I'm only 140." The lieutenant nodded and exited the room, leaving her alone. Dayna stared after him as he walked away, down to the holding cells, probably to see how Tran was doing.

Dayna caught a look at herself in the glare of the computer screen monitor. She cringed at her bloody face and her bruised cheek. Her throat was turning black and blue already and her cheek was already swollen. She shook her head and grabbed her purse from her desk, cursing the day she took the job.

---

Vince found himself with his arm around Mia's shoulder, something he had dreamed about every since he had met her. He knew that Mia only saw him as an older brother, just like Leon and Jesse, but he couldn't help the slick grin that crawled onto his face when everyone in the restaurant glanced over to them. He couldn't help but imagine that they were going out for dinner to celebrate their one year anniversary, but instead he was taking her out to discuss her depression and her problems.

He found had found himself taking the strong, dominant role that he has once held when Dom was locked up. His family was in a crisis and he was the only one that could cope. He knew that if he didn't take charge, his family would fall apart. It was the classic post-traumatic stress family model. He had briefly discussed the situation with Day and she had advised him. She didn't want to intrude in the family's business but she gave him a few pointers.

Vince knew the team would feel guilty about everything that happened to them, but it wasn't their fault. Dom had made decisions and they had gone along with him, therefore it was nobodies fault. He stared across the table and watched as Mia glanced through her menu, biting her bottom lip at all the different choices. "I hope you like this place," he whispered, closing his menu and motioning to the waiter. She followed suite and smiled at him.

"Nice choice. Italian food is my favorite, Vincent," she said, a big grin on her face. V groaned and shook his head. "Don't start with that. This is my favorite restaurant. I thought you would enjoy dinner here." The waiter took their order and poured them a glass of red wine. "So what's the occasion, Vince? I know we're not here to discuss next week's lunch menu for the diner."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm here to give you some alone time. I want to have some one on one time with you Mi. Things have been a little crazy lately, so we haven't had time to sit down and chat," he replied. Mia smiled and cocked her head to the side. "What's really going on here?" She asked, entwining her hands together on her lap and staring straight at him.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I just wanted to spend some time with you and make sure everything was kosher," he replied. "Straight out and point blank, just say what you want to say V," she said, fidgeting with her skirt. "Fine. I just wanted to touch ground with you about what's been going on. I know you're sad about the buster and what not, but I don't want you to fall into depression because of him. He's trash, Mia. He's garbage and you're worth so much more."

Mia stared straight at him and froze. "There's nothing wrong with me," she said, with no emotion in her voice. Vince stared at her and shook her head. "I mean, yeah things are a little sad for me, but give me time. I'll bounce back," she said. "I understand that, but there's no reason you should sit around locked away in your room. This isn't the Mia we all know and love," he replied, reaching across the table for her hand.

She placed her hand in his and smiled softly. "After everything happened with the heists a lot of things became clear for me. Like how self-absorbed we all were and above all, why I never paid any attention to you," she whispered. He stared at her and nodded, understanding what she was saying. It was the classic epiphany that everyone has at least one point in their lives. "I told myself and everyone that you were just a brother to me, my brother's best friend. The one I would go to if I ever had a problem and needed it handled, but as time went on and now this happens, I think that maybe if I had paid attention to you, none of this would've happened."

As the last words hung in the air, Vince stared at the prize he had fought for so many years. He had hung on to every word she had said since they were 8 years old and now the words were singing his name.

---

As soon as V and Mia walked through the doorway tension dripped off of the walls. Mia groaned as she spotted Letty pacing the living room floor, wearing a hole in the carpet she had argued with Dom for over three hours for. V nodded at Jesse and Leon who were sitting on the couch watching Letty. Of course Dom was MIA.

Letty stood in front of Vince and began talking to him, not taking a breathe between sentences, let alone words. He held up a hand and shook his head. "One thing at a time," he said, motioning for Mia to walk up the stairs. Letty groaned and walked over to the couch, flopping down in between Jesse and Leon. Her eyes became slits as she watched V follow Mi up the stairs.

Mia opened her bedroom door and sat down on the edge of her bed, staring up at Vince, who was pacing in front of her, looking as if he had to take a shit. She jumped up and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, forcing him to sit down next to her. "Just say what you need to say, Vincent," she said, staring into his eyes.

Vince stared back at her and sighed. "You're my family, my sister, before a friend, a lover or a silly crush, Mia," he whispered, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "You can talk to me about anything, just like when I was laid out in the hospital for weeks. You took care of me and I shall always do the same for you. A lot of things are going to change in the next couple of days around here."

Mia watched as his brows furrowed together and sighed at the end of his mini-speech. She brought her head towards him, to what he thought was a hug, but ended up being a kiss. He froze and stared at her, a questioning look on his face. She nodded and leaned in again, this time slipping her tongue in his mouth. Soon after that it turned on into a full on make out session. When they parted, Mia's eyes found the floor and Vince's found the ceiling. He stood up and headed for the door, pausing before exiting the room to glance back at her. "I have some things to handle downstairs. Just ignore the chaos that is about to happen in the living room and get some rest."

As he shut the door behind him, Vince cursed underneath his breath. He didn't mean for things to go as far as they did. It was too late to take back the kiss and he felt guilty for doing Day dirty. He shook his head and continued his trek down the stairs, leading himself into a den full of trouble.


	10. Taking Care of Business

**Chapter 10:** Taking Care of Business

Vince unbuttoned his shirt and walked into the living room, finding Letty trying to choke the living life out of Jesse, while kicking Leon in the shin. He stopped in front of the couch and glared at them before speaking. "Leon out on the porch, Jesse in the kitchen and Letty stay right there!"

The trio scattered to their perspective corners and Letty was left alone with a stressed out Vince. "Explain," he barked, flopping down on the couch next to her. "I went to the store to get some liq and when I come back the house is empty. I start searching for bodies in the house and when I go downstairs I find Leon passed out downstairs with this right next to him," she replied, pulling out a small bag full of white powder. Vince took the baggie from her fingers and shook his head.

"I flipped out. I didn't know what to do, so I slapped him. He got up and we got into it. Jesse appears out of nowhere and gets involved. Leon pushed him by mistake and he fell. Jess ran out of the room and me and Le kept going. When I realized that it was pointless I left, coming upstairs to see if Jess was alright, only to find him sitting at the kitchen table with a knife-cutting himself."

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Go upstairs. Shower or do whatever shit it is you do. Just stay out of sight and out of trouble," he said, standing up from the couch and walking outside to the porch. He found Leon sitting on the railing, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. Vince reached inside his shirt pocket and pulled one out along with a lighter. Seconds later, he was pulling on the cigarette like it meant dear life to him.

"I didn't know you smoked," Leon said, ashing his cigarette. "There are a lot of things people don't know about me, like the fact that I actually give a damn around the people around me." Leon took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, training his eyes on the light fixture behind Vince. V leaned against the wall and focused his eyes on Le. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't bury you in the backyard right now and go about my business," V said, tosssing him the small bag he had gotten from Letty.

Leon stared at the bag in his hand and kept glancing up at V. "I was at a party a couple of months back, trying to take my mind off of things. That's when it all started. At first it was just a small amount, a little buzz and that was it. And then… I guess they call it tolerancy or some shit. I can't get out of bed without some and I can't go more than six hours without another hit. I've tried everything and anything I can get my hands on. And here I am now, feeling like a kid when he gets a bad report card and is waiting for his dad to lay down the lay. So what am I in for? Ass kicking? 3 weeks without the playstation?"

Vince chuckled and shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair and over his face. "These are the conditions. You either take them or leave. And when I say leave, I mean you leave the house, the garage and you are no longer part of the team. It's called tough love, sonny. I'm here for you for whatever, but this is one of those things that if you don't stop now, it will escalate, and will stop when I have to bury your ass. You're a drug addict, Leon. There's no way around it."

Le nodded and threw his cigarette out. He cleared his throat and stared intently at V. "Tomorrow I expect you to find a drug program. You need help and it's the type that I cannot give you. I'm taking down your bedroom door and as of now you have no access to a car. Someone must be with you at all times. You need something, Letty or whoever will drive you. I will randomly drug test you. Mia and everyone in this house is worried about you. They are willing to do anything for you. Even if it means tying you up and holding you hostage in the basement. Those are the conditions. If you don't like them, tomorrow morning when I wake up I expect to find you gone. If not, when I wake up I expect to see your car keys on the table along with all of your supply, including the pills, and I expect to see you in town with Letty getting professional help."

"I don't think I'll be able to do this," Leon whispered. "When Dom came back from Lompoc, he brought back a nasty little habit. I had his back and I'll have yours. Now go to your room and stay there until morning. I expect to not have to see you until then, no matter what," Vince said, before throwing out his cigarette and walking into the house.

He cracked his neck and stretched out his body, listening to the bones in his back crack. V walked into the kitchen and found Jesse sitting at the table with his head in his hand. "Take your shirt off," he barked, grabbing a Corona out of fridge. Jesse stood up and pulled off his shirt. Vince took in the damage on his small body and cringed. He chugged the rest of the bottle and shook his head. "I'm sorry," Jesse began to say, but his chest started convulsing with sobs.

Vince walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him, trying not to hurt his fresh wounds. He shushed him, rocking him from side to side. "It's okay. I'm going to fix everything," he whispered, Jesse hitting a soft spot in the big, burly man. "It's all my fault," Jesse said, parting from him and wiping the tears from his face. V stepped back and took in the mess in front of him.

Jesse was the little brother in the team, the one that everyone watched out for. Vince knew that it wasn't Jesse's fault that he had ADD along with depression, that's why he took to heart everything that happened to him. He was on his meds, but it sometimes wasn't enough. Vince knew that Dom was Jesse's idol. Whatever Dom did was angelic in his eyes and that's where it all went wrong. If Dom slacked, Jesse slacked. He went along with everything that Dom said and did, so it made sense that he was feeling the way he did- guilty.

Jesse went along with Dom's idea of pulling the heists, if anything he was the only one that supported him and pushed for the others to support him too. He brought the shooting upon himself, racing the Trans for slips and then skipping out on the payment. But nobody blamed him for anything that happened, Jesse just blamed himself. When Dom and Leon picked up their extracurricular activities, Jesse found himself alone and turned to pain. It let him know that he was still alive.

V sat down and motioned for Jesse to follow suit. He reached across the table and grabbed one of Jesse's hands, placing it inside his own. "I understand the concept of pain, more than you would think. I've been experiencing it ever since I was 10. And every time I get one year older, I regret the past but thank God for the future. Forget about everything else, just focus on being happy now and tomorrow Jesse. Fuck everything else. I'm your dawg and I guarantee you that things are going to change from now on," he said.

Jess nodded and gripped onto V's hand tightly. "I promise I'll never do it again, V. It was stupid," he said, his eyes tearing. "Forget it ever happened. Just go take a shower and get into bed. I don't want you out of bed until tomorrow, no matter what," he said, patting his hand and telling him to hit the stairs.

Vince sat back in the chair and let out a long breath, thinking about the long crazy night he had just dealt with. Just as he was getting up the strength to get up and get into bed, he heard the front door. "One more to go," he muttered.

He knew that Dom wouldn't fall easily and if he did, he would take him down with him. Vince ordered everyone not to come out of their rooms because he knew Dom would get loud and if necessary there would be a brawl in the works. Dom was the biggest problem- he was the glue that held them together and so far, the team was falling apart.


	11. Connections

**A/N: **I realized that it's been years since I've updated and I apologize. It seems the muse wants to finish this story and I agree. Hang in there with me people. I promise not to let you down!!

**Chapter 11: **Connections

Vince began to pace as he heard Dom's car pull up. He knew nothing good was going to come out of tonight. He knew that there was only one way to get through to Dom, by kicking his ass. He knew that no matter how hard they tried to have a civil conversation, it would end in them rolling around on the ground. It would end with both of them visiting the hospital, together.

The front door opened and Dom stepped into the house, his work boots scraping against the floor. Vince stared him down, his heart beating rapidly. Dom shut the door behind him and shook his head. "It's not enough with Letty waiting for me when I get home. Now I gotta deal with you?" Dom said, leaning against the closed door.

Vince shrugged and began to shed his shirt. He pulled off his rings and emptied his pockets, dropping the contents onto the coffee table. "Let's just get it out of the way, shall we? We'll fight and then I'll tell you how this family is falling apart. How Mia is depressed. How Jesse is cutting himself. How Leon is using drugs. How I can't sleep through the night. How Letty is planning on leaving us," V said, walking out to the backyard.

Dom followed him, a scowl on his face. Vince stood in the middle of the backyard, waiting for the bigger man to make a move. "Letty's leaving?" He whispered. Vince nodded, waving around. "Seems that you can't keep your dick in your pants. So she's decided that she's gone. She can't deal with our bullshit no more," he said.

Dom lunged for Vince, not really knowing why. He had no beef with his friend but he knew that he couldn't keep taking out his frustrations in bed. He had that instinct to fight it out and Vince didn't mind helping him out. Dom knew he was too stubborn for his own good, he knew that fighting Vince would take out all resistance in him and make him docile. He knew that once he was too tired to fight back, he would be able to listen and take his friend's advice.

Thirty minutes later, the boys stepped into the kitchen, both holding on to their wounds. Dom grabbed a sheet of paper towel and rolled it up, shoving it into his bloody nose. Vince reached into the fridge and grabbed an ice pack, placing it on his swollen cheek. "You driving?" He asked, walking into the living room and grabbing his shirt and wallet. "Yep," Dom responded, opening the front door and walking through it.

They hopped into Dom's car and took off towards the hospital. This was usual for them. They would fight. Drive each other to the hospital. Be back in time for breakfast.

"How do I fix it?" Dom asked, shifting lanes. Vince scoffed and shrugged. "Damned, if I know. I guess just start off by talking to them. You're the glue, Dom. With you half gone all the time, shit just fell apart. We're not the team we used to be," Vince said, pulling the ice pack away from his face. He looked into the passenger side mirror and cringed at his already swollen cheek.

"Stitches?" Dom asked, pulling into the emergency room entrance of the hospital. "Yeah," Vince answered, solemnly.

---

"Do I even want to know?" Mia asked, as she walked into the kitchen. Dom and Vince glanced at each other and smirked. "A couple of stitches for me. Dom here, is sporting some broken ribs," V answered, slapping Dom on the back. The bigger man groaned and flipped his friend off before standing up from the kitchen table. "Good luck," Mia said, shoving a cup of coffee into Dom's hand and pointing up the stairs. Dom sighed and headed upstairs, knowing that he had to win Letty back before anything.

---

Dayna opened her front door and groaned, placing a hand in front of her face to block out the sunlight. "What the hell happened to you?" Vince growled, walking into the house. She sighed and walked over to the couch, plopping down on it. "Trisha fucking Tran," she muttered, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. "No fucking way," Vince said, sitting down across from her. "I gave it to her good. She'll be pissing blood for the next week. The only good thing I got out of it was the lieu put me on medical leave for a few days," she replied, turning the television on. "What about you?"

Vince scoffed, running a hand over his stitches lightly. "Dom and I had a chat last night," he responded. She looked over at him and smirked. "Anything I should be worried about?" Dayna asked. He cocked his head to side and sighed. He felt like breaking down right then and there. Telling her about everything. Asking her to help, but it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to drop everything on her and ask her to fix them.

"Do you know a good counseling center?" He asked, realizing that he would need some place to start. "Yeah. I know a place my friend runs. A couple of miles from here. Free of charge for people that live in the local area," she said, standing up the couch and retrieving her purse from behind it. She dug around in it and pulled out a business card. "Tell her I sent you," she said, handing V the card.

---

Dom watched as Letty pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. "Can we at least talk?" He asked, leaning against the window sill. She turned from her position in front of the mirror and faced him. Dom watched her and realized that she was absolutely tired. He saw the strain and the worry lines framing her face. He saw that she didn't carry herself with the intensity that she used to. She didn't jump at the idea of racing anymore. She rather spend her days in front of the television or with in bed with Mia. She wasn't the same anymore. None of them were.

"I need some time, Dom. I need to take care of myself first before I can worry about who you're doing or who you're running around getting into trouble with," she said, turning around and reaching for the door knob. "I know, Letty. Trust me, I know I've fucked up. Big time. But don't leave because of my mistakes. This is your family too. I'll change. I'll do whatever you need me to do, but don't leave us. Don't leave me," he said.

They looked at each other and held each other's stare, both realizing that they needed to do some healing. Letty nodded and continued her descent into the hallway and into the stairs. Dom stared after her, his body longing for her warmth. How did things get so fucked up? How did they lose themselves? How?

---

"This is a really nice car," Dayna said, as she slipped into the passenger's side of Vince's Maxima. He scoffed as he saw her beat up Toyota Camry in his rearview mirror as he pulled away from her house. "How long you had that car?" He asked. Dayna sighed and smiled at him. "Who knows how long that car has been around. My brother had it before me. He finally saved up enough money and got himself a Civic. Then he kindly donated the Camry to me so that I wouldn't have to take the bus to work anymore," she said.

"You have brothers? It seems like you know everything about me and I know nothing about you," he said. Dayna chuckled, thinking that he was right. "Well maybe one day, far, far from now, I'll take you home to meet mom," she said. Vince cocked an eyebrow and scoffed. He didn't know what to think about the offer. It would be nice to get out of Echo Park and get to know Dayna a bit more.

---

Vince stuck his head into the garage's office and spotted Letty tying on her work boots. She looked up at him and smiled, nodding back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the card Dayna had given him. "Can you take Jesse and Leon there? I figured you could go with and bond or some shit," he mumbled, handing her the card. She accepted it and glanced at it. "You not going?"

"I figured I can only deal with so much at a time. I'll take care of them first, then worry about myself later," he replied, exiting the office. Letty stared after him, understanding what he was saying. She knew that Vince was a mess underneath the tough exterior he put up for everyone, but was he sacrificing himself for them? Or was he running away?


	12. Normal

**Chapter 12: **Normal

Dayna walked outside of the garage and found Jesse sitting on an old tire. She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. He jumped but relaxed when he heard her chuckle. "What's going on, Jess?" She said, sitting down by his side. He shrugged and continued to stare off down the street. Day leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled up at him. He glanced down at her, trying his hardest not to smile back. He broke and grinned from ear to ear. "What happened to your face?" He asked, checking out the black and blues that surrounded her eyes and her bruised nose.

"Seems that Trisha Tran decided to rearrange it for me," she replied. Jesse got up and tried to make a break for it. She reached up and dragged him back down, a stern look on her face. "You know what happened between the Trans and me?" Day nodded, never breaking eye contact with him. "You should be careful," Jesse said, while jiggling his right leg.

She reached out and placed her hand on it, making him stop. "Calm down, Jess. The Trans are done in this town. There's nothing to be scared of." He reached up and pulled the beanie off of his head and began to play with it. "I'm scared they are gonna come back and finish the job, ya know," he mumbled. Dayna threw an arm around him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "As long as I'm around, the Trans will come no where near you or your family," she said.

Jesse blushed at her show of affection and began to stammer. She laughed and stood up, reaching for his hand. "Come on, Dom was bitching about Leon doing something to something in one of the cars. Whatever it was, he didn't look too happy about it." He took her hand and they walked into the garage, holding hands. They walked over to the car Leon was currently working on and Dayna pulled away from Jesse, a smile on her face. She patted him on the back and motioned for him to help Leon out.

She turned around, a smile on her and walked over to Dom, who was currently leaning on the door frame that lead into the garage's office. "You're good at what you do, huh?" He asked, glancing over at Jesse and the grin on his face. Dayna shook her head and smiled at Dom. "I just listen, D. I listen and try my hardest not to judge," she replied.

---

Mia lifted her head from the textbook she was currently reading at the sound of footsteps. She watched as a tall man walked into the café and looked around. "Can I help you?" She asked, her hand unconsciously moving to the gun that sat underneath the counter. "Yeah, what's good here?" He said, walking over to the counter and sitting down.

She pulled her hand back and smiled at the stranger. She watched as he walked over with a swag in his step. He was currently dressed in a pair of blue jeans that rode low on his hips, the top of his boxers peeking out. His arms were full of tattoos and the white v-neck he was wearing was hugging the muscles he sported. "Everything but the tuna," she replied, glancing down at her current attire, making sure she wasn't making a complete fool of herself.

"Can I get a turkey and cheese with the works?" He asked, staring at her intensely. "Coming right up," she said, as she slid off of her perch on a stool behind the counter and slipped her hands into a pair of gloves. "You from around here?" She asked, as she began to prepare his order. The guy shook his head and smiled up at her. "Naa. I'm just visiting some family," he replied.

Mia couldn't put her finger on it, but this guy was familiar. There was something about him that she found welcoming, almost comforting. "Well, my name is Mia. If you're ever back in town, feel free to stop by," she said, placing his sandwich in front of him. "Damien," he said and picked up his sandwich. They continued to chit chat as he ate and she practically drooled over him.

Once he was done, he threw some money down on the counter and stood up, his permanent smile facing her. "Well, if you ever want me back in town, feel free to call me sometime. A movie, a coffee date, anything," he said, reaching over and picking up the pen in her textbook. He grabbed her hand and wrote down his number on it, placing a kiss on it before leaving. She blushed and waved him off, not believing her luck.

She had was experiencing that gut feeling Dayna had told her about. She laughed at herself and turned back to her textbook, shaking her head softly.

---

The next day, Vince found himself knocking on Dayna's front door as per Mia's request to have her over for lunch. He knocked harder, getting aggravated with the fact that she was taking so long to respond. He lifted his hand to knock again, but the door swung open, revealing a half naked man. A half naked man, opening the door. Opening Dayna's door. In his boxers.

The man yawned and cocked an eyebrow at Vince. "Where's Dayna?" V asked, a scowl on his face. "Upstairs," he said, stepping aside and letting V in. Vince stepped into the house and watched as the man shut the door and walked into the kitchen, scratching his chest. Like as if he lived there. As if.

Vince growled and made his way upstairs to Dayna's room. He found her in bed, still asleep, her hair all over the place. He sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to nudge her awake. She swatted his hand away and burrowed deeper under the covers. "Five more minutes, D. You kept me up all last night," she mumbled, still asleep.

He pulled his hand back and fought the urge to go downstairs and bash the man's face in. He shook his head sadly and exit the room. He argued with himself the entire way down the stairs and into his car, refusing to believe that he was so hung up on Dayna. She never said she wasn't seeing anyone. If anything, he was the one pushing up on her. What did he expect? His life was full of disappointments.

Vince punched his steering wheel before taking off, never looking back. He shook his head, cursing himself, as he sped through town, trying to forget the stupidest idea he ever had- Dayna ever falling in love with him.

---

A week later, Mia and Dayna found themselves at the local coffee shop. Dayna sipped on the iced latte she ordered and watched as Mia spread cream cheese over the cinnamon raisin bagel she had ordered. "So any specific reason why Vince has been avoiding me like I was a bill collector?" Dayna asked. Mia shrugged. "I think he's just stressed because of everything that's going on with the team. Leon and Jesse are doing good though. Letty and Dom are still trying to work things out, but V… He's taken a turn for the worse," she replied.

Dayna glanced over at the girl who had become her best friend over the last couple of weeks and cocked an eyebrow. "What about you? Don't think that I haven't noticed the slight changes you've been making. If anything, you've taken a turn for the worse also," she said, motioning to Mia's barely there top. Mia blushed and leaned across the table they were sitting.

"I met this guy and we've been talking on the phone for like hours every night. He seems really nice. And I think I'm gonna let him taking me out to a movie or something," Mia said. Dayna laughed and smiled at her. "About damn time, Mi. If you want to go out and have some fun, do it. You have nothing to hide and nothing to lose, but everything to gain," she said.

Mia leaned back into her chair and laughed. Dayna was right. Brian was gone. He left and never looked back. Never came back to apologize or to see if she would take him back. He was gone. She looked high and low for him and there was nothing. Nothing except for her memories and tear soaked pillow. It was time she went out and had a little fun. If Brian could move on without a second thought, so could she.

She felt guilty though, knowing that the real reason why Vince probably dropped Dayna like she was hot, was because of their date and their kiss. She felt guilty because she was keeping a secret from the only friend she had. The friend that saved her life. The friend that was supporting her throughout the entire ordeal of putting her family back together. She felt so guilty, that she couldn't help but let those words slip out of her mouth.

Dayna's heart dropped as she realized that Vince and Mia did have something going. She shrugged and changed the topic, trying to hide the fact that she was hurt over her friend's revelation. That she did indeed have feelings for Vince. However small they were, they now had no chance of evolving into something greater.

---

"Are you out of your mind? There's no way in hell that you are going off with some guy I didn't even know existed before two minutes ago!" Dom yelled, walking down the stairs. Mia appeared behind him, tears streaming down her eyes. "You can't treat me like I'm thirteen anymore, Dom! I'm old enough to make my own decisions," she yelled back.

"Last time you made a decision, it brought this entire family down!" Dom yelled. Everyone in the room froze, staring at each other, wondering what else could be said to add more tension to the room. "Actually, you made the decisions about the heists, which brought Brian here. So therefore, every decision you made, brought this family down," Letty said, from her perch on the couch.

Dom glared at her, his jaw clammed shut. He knew that she was right. He could blame Brian, he could blame Mia, but the truth was he was the only one at fault for what happened to them. He was the only one they could blame. He came up with the ideas about the heist. He ignored Vince when he said Brian was a cop. He let Brian date his sister. He. Not them. He.

"What's his name?" He said, his voice low and gravelly. "Damien. His name is Damien Batista. And he's a really nice guy, Dom. He is sweet and funny. All he wants is to take me out to a movie. When was the last time I went out to see a movie? I deserve this," Mia said, a pleading tone in her voice. Dom nodded and glanced at Jesse. "Check him out. If he's clean, Mia can go to the movie with him, but she gotta bring him home afterwards. I wanna meet him," he said.

Mia shrieked and threw her arms around Dom. She didn't know why she tried so hard to please him. Maybe it was because he was the only family she had left. Maybe because he dedicated his life to taking care of her. His heart was in the right place and so was hers. Their relationship was intense and at times stupid, but it was theirs. They understood each other. That was all that mattered.

---

Dayna slipped into the house and plopped down on the couch next to Leon. They shared a smile before Dom exploded from the basement, several pieces of paper in his hand. "MIA!" He yelled up the stairs, his voice echoing throughout the house. Letty groaned and shook her head, knowing that Dom couldn't leave well enough alone. He was always looking for something. What it was, he didn't have to know. He would search until he found something that was worth arguing for like as if he needed to prove himself to the world. Make himself look better than the rest of the humans that inhabited the planet.

Mia came down the stairs, an eyebrow cocked, her shoulders already crossed over her chest. She Dom wouldn't stop until he had some dirt on him. Dom held up the pieces of paper and grinned. "He has a record a mile long. There's no way in hell you are coming within five feet of this guy," he said, handing them to her. She grabbed them and looked through them, shrugging her shoulders. "So what, Dom? Everyone has a past. Just like you. Just like Vince. Just like everyone in this house."

The rest of the team stared intently into the television, trying to stay out of the sibling dispute. They knew that taking sides would only make things worse- for them. If they sided with Dom, he would be asshole for the rest of the month. He would make life difficult for them. If they sided with Mia, they were risking making her cry. They were putting her cooking and cleaning on the line.

Dom snatched the pieces of paper from her and shoved them Vince's way. V looked through them and frowned. He wished he was wrong, but he recognized the guy. "I've seen this guy before," he said, reading the print outs and growling. "Where? I've sure as hell never seen him in Echo Park before. Someone that bad ass, I'm sure I would know of him at least," Dom said. "I've seen him at Day's house."

Dayna glanced over at V and scowled. "What are you talking, V?" She said, standing up from the couch and walking over to his perch on a living room chair. She took the printouts from V and began to scan through them, a smile on her face. "I actually think that Mia and him would make an amazing couple," she said, facing Dom and handing him back the papers.

"Who is he?" Dom growled, balling up the pieces of paper. Day smiled at him and shrieked. "He's my brother, Dom. And there isn't a single bad bone in his body. Trust me, if there's anyone you would want Mia to know, let alone date, it would be Damien," she said. Mia came down from the stairs and threw an arm around Dayna, a smug smirk on her face. An I-told-you-so smirk.

Vince sighed and threw his head back on the couch, not believing his ears. Her brother. That guy was her brother. Probably visiting. Not fucking her, like he had thought. He had made a complete ass out of himself, over some stupid jealousy issue that turned out to be nothing.

"This guy has a record. His record makes me wonder. She is not gonna be associated with some ex-convict thug, let alone date him!" Dom yelled. Dayna growled. A deep, throated growl that made everyone look her way. "Take one look at my record, Dom. I'm sure it would put all of yours to shame. Go down to the hood and ask about me. See if people don't freeze up and start running. We did what was necessary to get by. I'm sure you of all people would understand that," she stated.

Dayna turned and walked out of the house. She wasn't surprised when no one followed her.

The team glanced at each other, all with questionable looks on their faces. They were intrigued with their friend. The one they thought was a straight laced cop. Turns out she has a past and issues, like the rest of them.


	13. Coming Clean

**Chapter 13: **Coming Clean

"She's right, Dom. Her whole entire family is into deep shit. She has a brother, Daniel Batista, up in San Quentin, sitting on death row. Her other brother, David Batista, is on parole. Dayna did 2 years for several offenses and that's when her criminal record stopped. My guess is, she wised up, decided not to get caught anymore and then cleaned up her act," Leon read off of Jesse's computer screen. "Why is her last name not Batista?" Jesse stammered out, leaning over Leon's shoulder and reading the screen.

"Says here she married when she was released from prison. To some guy named Jason Morelo. He's been off the radar for seven years now," Leon said. Dom groaned from behind them and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "You have to go and apologize, Dom. She's done nothing but help us ever since you and V broke into her house and decided to try to thug her!" Mia said, leaning on the door frame behind them.

Dom growled and turned to face her. "I'll go over and smooth things out with her- but there is no way in hell that I'm apologizing for what I didn't know," he said. Mia smirked and cocked her head to the side, her long hair flowing down beside her. "What about Damien?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "You can bring him over for dinner one night. Let us get a feel for him. If anybody doesn't feel comfortable with him- he's gone! And there will be no discussion about it." Dom turned and brushed past her, heading for the stairs. "I think I should go and talk to her before you do, Dom. I could be mistaking her people skills for stubbornness, but she'll rip you apart and then hand deliver the pieces," Vince said, emerging from his room.

Dom stopped mid way up the stairs and glanced down at his friend. He was right. Vince and her had some sort of connection. Everyone could see it. What it was- no one knew. But it was there. Or so they thought.

---

Dayna growled as she found Vince behind her. She was currently in her home office, getting her folders and paper together, trying to make them all fit in her briefcase. "You weren't answering, so I let myself in," he said, leaning against the door frame, his hands stuffed deep into his jean pockets. She turned back to her desk and continued to collect papers. "You and your friends really need to invest in some sort of workshop that teaches you to understand people's boundaries. How the hell did you get in here?"

He scoffed and smiled at her. "I helped you do the remodel on this house. That and I picked the lock. Again." She grabbed her briefcase and brushed past him, heading for her bedroom. She began to undress and stood in front of her closet, searching for something to wear. "Dom didn't handle things correctly, but he handled them the only way he knew how. His first instinct was to protect his baby sister. I'm sorry for the way he reacted but you can't blame him," he said.

Dayna scoffed and pulled out a white v-neck, a pair of black jeans and black boots from her closet. Vince watched as she argued with herself as she dressed. His eyes widened as he saw her pull out a bullet proof vest from underneath her bed and slip it on underneath her shirt. "Where the hell are you going? Iraq?" He asked, as she pulled out a lock box from underneath the bed also and retrieved a gun from it.

"Chief called me. Seems he wants to do a couple of raids tonight associated with some of the cases I've been working on," she replied, as she continued to get dressed. "Can we at least discuss this thing with your brother?" She froze and inhaled slowly, before beginning to ramble off the many thoughts in her head.

"This thing with my brother? There is no thing with my brother. We did what we had to do to get by. We are good people, Vince. So when Dom looks down on my brother, he's looking down on me. There were mortgage payments, medical bills, and household bills. My mother had no one, still doesn't. All she had were four mouths to feed in between my father beating the shit out of her and eventually leaving us without two pennies to rub together. So we did what we could. Yeah, we joined a gang. Sold drugs. Even killed people. Shit happens, V. Out of all my brothers, Damien is my heart. I will die for him and if it comes down to killing Dom to get him a date with Mia, I'll be very much obliged to do the community a favor," she said, sliding her gun into it's holster.

She grabbed her briefcase off of the bed and headed for the door. Vince placed a hand on her arm and turned her around. "Why didn't you tell me you were married?" Dayna froze and she could feel her eyes start to tear at the thought of her husband. "That in itself has nothing to do with you. Don't you dare ever mention that again. And why didn't you tell me that you were running around, making out with Mia?"

---

Mia ran into the house, tears streaming down her face. "You have to do something!" She yelled. The team came running out of the kitchen, worried all over their faces. "It's Dayna. She's not responding. She's in her car!" She yelled.

They ran down the street, non-stop until they reached Dayna's house. They found her in the driver's seat- her shirt covered in blood and several bullet holes littering it. She didn't respond when they knocked on the window and yelled her name. "Stand back!" Dom yelled, as Vince picked up one of the little lamp posts that lined her driveway and used it to break one of the backseat windows.

Dayna jumped in the front seat, screaming as she felt arms dragging her out of her car. "Jesus fucking christ!" Dom yelled, as she began to kick at him. She froze, recognizing the voice and instantly hating it. "What the fuck are you doing here?" She asked, her eyes drawn into slits. "I came to see how you were doing and I found you in the car with blood all over your shirt. We yelled your name and got nothing. I thought you were hurt," Mia said, reaching down and feeling the front of her shirt.

Dayna shrugged her off and began to make her way towards the front door. "I just got in like an hour ago. I probably just fell asleep in the car when I pulled into the driveway. Much to Dom's dismay, the blood isn't mine and the vest stopped all the bullets," she said, opening the front door and walking into her house. Dom rolled his eyes and followed her in.

The team stood out on the porch, not quite knowing how things would turn out between the two. Dom followed Dayna into the kitchen and found her sitting down at the kitchen table, shirtless. She was currently icing the bruises that were forming all over her torso, courtesy of the bullets. He leaned against the fridge and smirked at her. "I told Mia she could invite Damien over for dinner," he said.

Dayna scoffed and laughed. "Oh boy. Dominic Toretto is letting little old Damien into the house. Oh my. This one is going into the history books," she said. He growled and began to pace the room, realizing that she wouldn't break just because it was him. She wasn't like everyone else.

"I came down here to apologize and you want to act all arrogant? I have no other choice but to protect my baby sister, Dayna. Look what happened last time!" He yelled. Dayna moved her ice pack to another spot and cringed at the coldness against her skin. "What happened last time was that Mia put her heart on the line and got it completely destroyed because you couldn't keep your greedy, little hands to yourself. You can't blame her, Dom. She did nothing wrong. She fell in love and you fucked it up with your heists. Everyone told you he was a cop, you didn't want to believe it. You gotta stop blaming Mia and the cop for your mistakes. You have to own up to yours!" She said, her voice level challenging his.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that this is all my fault? Well, I do! I realized it when I found out that my family was so fucked up! Everything is falling apart and there's no way to fix it," he said. "There's always a way to fix things, Dom. You're the glue in this entire equation. You have to fix yourself first before you can fix anybody else. You gotta stop talking at them and start listening. This isn't the Dominic Toretto show. This is life and shit happens."

Dom stopped pacing and found himself staring at the floor. For the first time in years, he felt emotionally worn out. He felt like he was moving in slow motion and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with the rest of the world. He was tired of trying to keep up. He just wanted to be.


	14. Introductions

**Chapter 14: **Introductions

Damien tugged on Dayna's shirt and smiled at her, his dimples getting deeper and deeper as his smile widened. "You need to loosen up, sis," he said, shoving her towards her bedroom. She sighed and walked into her bedroom, dropping on to the bed. "It's been a week, D. I can't just show up there and act like nothing happened," she replied.

"You said that you and this guy named Dom worked things out. Plus, you're not just showing up there. You're coming with me. I don't wanna get there and he's waiting for me with a shotgun in the basement," he said, dropping down next to her. Their arms intertwined as they stared up at the ceiling. "You gotta leave your gun and knife here. If you really like this girl, you gotta be you, D. No drama or bullshit. We're not in Compton anymore," she said.

He stood up and faced her, motioning to his outfit. "I know we're not in Compton anymore. I even got a haircut for this," he said. Dayna laughed as he stood in front of the mirror and modeled his outfit. He had traded in his low slung jeans in for a pair of nice khakis and his wifebeater for a short sleeved black button down.

She stood up and walked over to his closet, her face scrunched as she searched for something to wear. She figured that if Damien had gotten dressed up, she should too. She pulled out a pink button down shirt and held it up for his approval. Damien snatched the shirt out of her hand and threw it across the room. "Hey! That's Banana Republic. Do you know how much that cost me?" She yelled, walking over to the shirt and picking it up.

"I'll buy you five more of those shirts, but you are not wearing that. If I have to go to Dom's sentencing and be myself with no bullshit or drama as you said, then you need to go as yourself and not what you wear every freaking day to work," he said, searching in her closet. "I don't have any clothes like that. It's either clubbing or dressy clothes, so you're out of luck boo," she said.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I know you better than that. You got to have your street clothes just in case. You never know when you have to come down to the hood and crack some heads," he said, kneeling down and pulling out shoe boxes. She saw the massive mess he was making and sighed, giving in. "Fine," she said, walking over to her dresser and pulling open a drawer.

She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a white wifebeater. Damien handed her a pair of white Nike uptowns and cocked an eyebrow. "I knew you wouldn't leave Mami's house without them," he said, pushing them her way. He walked out of the room to give her some time to change and get ready, and he found himself in the bathroom, drinking himself in.

He felt like a traitor, trading in his wifebeater and baggy jeans for this girl. He chalked it up to wanting to try new things. Wanting to figure out who he really was and where he was going with his life. He couldn't stand on street corners for the rest of his life. Eventually, he needed to do something with his life. Make something out of himself.

---

The duo ran up the Toretto driveway and around the house, finding the team getting dinner ready. They didn't notice they were there and continued to horseplay, which ended up with Damien in head lock and Dayna on his back.

Dom cleared his throat and they froze. Damien turned around and found the team staring at them. Whether they were amused or concerned, he didn't know. Dayna slid off of Damien's back and smiled at the team, her grin from ear to ear. Vince's heart skipped a beat as he drank her in. Her skinny jeans hugged every right curve and her wifebeater clung to her voluptuous front and toned stomach. Her hair was wild behind her, fluttering in the soft breeze that filled the backyard. Her eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner and her face was flush, from laughter.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you like this… so not rigid, with a stick permanently lodged up your ass," Dom said, standing in front of the grill. Dayna's face dropped and instantly turned into a scowl. She started to make her way towards Dom, to give him a piece of her mind and maybe some of her fist, but Damien's arm snaked around her waist and held her close.

"I took the stick out of her ass and left it at home for safe keeping. Re-insertion come tomorrow," he said. Dom laughed and pointed at Damien with his BBQ tongs. "Smart mouth, kid. I like that," he said. Mia came running out of the house and enveloped Damien in a hug. Dayna slid aside, a smile on her face at the prospect of the two of them being together.

"He promised to switch things up if I reverted back to my old self," Dayna said, walking over to Jesse and sitting down next to him on the steps in the back of the house. The two linked arms and watched as Mia introduced Damien to the team. She watched as he fidgeted in his shoes, feeling awkward in the presence of new people.

Dayna stood up and walked into the kitchen, retrieving a beer from the fridge. She leaned against the door frame and looked out upon the rest of them. She watched as Vince made his way towards her, a small smile on his face. "Can we talk?" He whispered, as he took his place next to her. She shook her head and watched as his smile fell. "I rather not, V. I don't want to ruin today," she said, a smile on her face as she watched Mia and Damien talking to Dom and Letty, smiles on all of their faces.

Vince placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her farther into the kitchen. "We can't keep walking on eggshells around each other. You have to believe me, Dayna. There's nothing between me and Mia. She's with your brother now," he said, leaning against the counter.

Dayna threw her hands in the air and shook her head. "I told you that I didn't want to be your little experiment and this was why. Because shit gets complicated and I can't do complicated, V. I can barely handle doing anything out of the ordinary before I get all off track and I barely even recognize myself anymore. It was hard enough for me to let you guys into my life and then you go and start digging up bodies. Only reason I'm here is because of Damien. As soon as he leaves, I'm gone. For good," she rambled off.

"Ignore her, Vince. She just needs to get her head out of her ass," Damien said, standing in the doorway. He walked over and threw Dayna over his back and nodded to him. "Dom said chicken's ready," he said, exiting the kitchen with his sister in tow. Vince cocked an eyebrow at the duo and followed them out of the kitchen.

They sat at the picnic table and said grace, each giving their own version of it. Dayna and Dom glanced at each other throughout dinner, a smile on both their faces. He clearly approved and so did she, both accepting the fact that they were now going to be in each other's lives.

After dinner was done, they did the traditional popcorn and a movie, each settling into their perspective seats. Letty cocked an eyebrow as she saw Vince and Dayna take opposite sides of the couch, with Mia and Damien in between the two of them. She snuggled into Dom and glanced up at him, watching him as he watched Damien and Mia from the corner of his eye. She scoffed and turned her attention back to the movie.

When the movie ended, Mia and Damien found themselves in the kitchen, standing in front of each other awkwardly. It had reached that point in the night where they didn't quite know if they should kiss or hug each other goodbye. Mia blushed as she watched Damien keep glancing towards the kitchen door.

"You know, Dom's not the one you need to worry about," she said, leaning against the kitchen counter. Damien cocked an eyebrow an d took a sip of his beer. "Really? Cause I had this idea that when I met him he would've been holding a shot gun in his hand. Turns out he was just standing in front of his BBQ grill. I'm sure that if he really wanted to, all he would have to do was tie me up, cut me up into little pieces and grill me. No one would be able to identify the burnt pieces. No one hears from me ever again."

Mia laughed and shook her head. "Vince. He does all of Dom's dirty work, plus I think he's very well connected with certain organizations. He's the one you should be worried about," she said, sliding up to him and wrapping an arm around his waist. Damien chuckled and Mia shivered as his vibrations ran through her body. "Is it okay if I call you when I get home? You can help me plan my escape routes in case Vince decides to attack," he said.

She chuckled and glanced up at him, a geeky smile on her face. "I'm glad you wanna call me, let alone have me help you plan your escape. Most guys take one look at them, ask where the bathroom is and we never see them again," she said. He glanced down at her and smiled. He reached down and placed a kiss on her lips, savoring their warmth and softness. "We're in the same boat, sister. Wait until you meet the rest of the fam," he mumbled against her lips.

They heard a growl from the door and turned, finding Vince scowling at them. "I think it's time for me to go," Damien said, glancing back at Mia. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah, I think so too," Vince said, holding open the kitchen door. The couple parted and walked into the living room.

Damien and Dayna said their goodbyes, both glad at how the night had turned out. They walked the couple of blocks back to her house and sat out on the back porch, staring up at the night sky. "So what's the deal there? I see a lot of similarities between them and us, Dayna. I could see why you would want to run away from the life you already built and seem to love," he said.

She scoffed and glanced over at him, wringing her hands together. "We are too much alike, D. Too fucking much. And that's what scares me," she replied. Damien threw an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You know he's gonna kill you when he finds out I'm spending time up here. He's gonna find Mia and her crew, and start problems. Problems that I don't need or want. Problems that our brothers don't need."

Dayna nodded and stared back up into the sky. "I know, Damien. And that's why you have a tough decision to make. I already made mines. Now it's all on you," she said, shaking her head softly. "I can't turn my back on him, on them. He'll kill you and me. Then he'll kill Mia and her family."

The two looked at each other, their eyes wide. What the future held for them, they weren't sure, but they knew that things would likely get worse before they got any better.


	15. Time

**Chapter 15: **Time

And they soon fell into a routine that accommodated their new team member. It wasn't like they had to accommodate much- with the same ease that Dayna slipped out of their lives, Damien joined the ranks. The entire team found themselves allowing him to fall into place next to them. He would show up at the garage and spend his days helping the team with their cars, in between stepping into the office and catching sweet kisses from Mia when V and Dom weren't looking.

The team soon came to realize that Damien and Dayna were more than brother and sister. They were more like better halves to each other. Vince realized this as he saw the younger man taking the time to hang out with Jesse and Leon, making sure they were okay. He felt a pang of jealousy run through his body as Damien made a bond with all of them. He was easy going and light hearted, fitting in with each of them. Vince also found himself liking Damien, as they spent their nights drinking beers and ganging up on Mia.

Today, Leon and Jesse found themselves sitting around with Damien, sharing their worries over a bottle of tequila behind the garage. Dom and the rest of the team had left early and left them behind to finish up working on some cars. They had finished early and had decided to get plastered before calling Mia for a ride home.

"I haven't felt that itch ever since I started seeing that counselor Dayna recommended," Leon said, downing his shot. "Yeah, she's pretty good. I'm glad things are going great with both of you," Damien said, slapping Jesse on the back. Leon and Jesse had discovered that they could confide with him on everything. He was like his sister- he didn't judge, just listened. He was seasoned in the art of dealing with people. His years on the streets had taught him how to handle situations and the people that come with them.

They continued to chat about random things, time flying by. Before they knew it, Mia's voice was ringing out throughout the garage. The laughed and stood up, realizing that they had missed dinner.

----

Mia threw her arms around Damien's neck and leaned into him, her soft body pressed up against his tight one. They sighed, realizing that no matter how hard they tried, they were never alone. They were currently standing on the porch, looking for at least 5 minutes of peace and quiet. "You know, this wouldn't be happening if you were a complete asshole to them," she said, placing a kiss on his lips. He moaned against her lips and pushed his tongue into her mouth.

"I can't help it, I think I'm falling in love with your family," he said. Mia giggled and pulled her lips away from his. She smirked and shook her head. "I should've known you were after Vince and Letty's bedside manners, and let's not forget Dom's chicken." The couple laughed and kissed once again, enjoying the last few moments of their night.

Damien had taken Mia out for a night on the town, much to the team's disappointment. Mia being gone meant no dinner, which meant that they would argue for at least an hour over what to order in. Which meant that at least one of them would be pissy about what was for dinner.

The front door opened and Vince stuck his head out, a scowl already on his face, waiting patiently for them. "Leon isn't feeling too hot," he said, holding the door open for them. Mia groaned and rolled her eyes, making her way towards the inside of the house. "Fucking baby," she muttered, heading towards the basement.

Damien entered the house and found Letty, Dom and Jesse stretched out all over the living room. He plopped down into a living room chair and glanced over at the television, while Vince sat down in another chair across the room. Jesse sat up at Damien's arrival and smiled at him. "Hey, I called Dayna mad times and she didn't pick up or return my phone calls," he said.

"She's being stubborn. You guys won't probably won't see her around anymore. She has her head up her ass about everything that's been going on lately," Damien said. Mia emerged from the basement and was heard opening and slamming cabinets and drawers. "What's going on there? I know we had our issues but I thought the BBQ smoothed everything over," Dom said, sitting up and giving Damien all of his undivided attention.

"Everyone is running away from something, whether they know it or not. Dayna's been running around for years, trying to save everyone around her, except she didn't realize that the one that needed saving was herself. You guys remind her of what she used to be, what we used to be. That scares her and she doesn't know how to do scared. She only knows how to react and fix things," he said.

"Is that why she doesn't come around anymore? We remind her of her past?" Letty asked. Vince sat up in his chair and focused on Damien, knowing that the only way he was gonna reach Dayna was through Damien. "You guys remind her of what our family used to be like. And I understand why she wouldn't want to be around you. She just doesn't want to get hurt again," he replied.

"What do you mean again?" Vince found himself saying. Damien shrugged and found himself staring off into the television. "Long story, bro," he replied. Everyone left it at that, realizing that no matter how laid back he was, there were things he wasn't ready to share with them.

-----

Mia pounded her fists on the door and began to yell Dayna's name out at the top of her lungs. "You can ignore Jesse, but you sure as hell won't get rid of me that easily," she yelled, beginning to kick the bottom of the door. As she waited for any answer inside the house, she contemplated what the fuck was really going on. She had missed Damien's explanation about his sister and all she wanted to know was why her close friend had disappeared from the face of the earth. As she gathered up another bout of energy to continue banging and yelling until Dayna emerged from the house, the front door swung up and Dayna stared back at her.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mia asked, pushing her way into the house. Dayna stepped aside and shut the door after her entrance, leaning against it as she watched Mia pace the living room. "I've been around, Mi. What's going on?" Dayna replied, feeling too tired from work to put up much of a fight. "You've been M.I.A. for the last couple of weeks, that's what's going! Jesse is worried to death over you. He calls the house, your cell and he even resorted to hacking into your email address to make sure you were still alive. You can't keep avoiding us for no god damn reason," Mia said.

Dayna sighed and moved over to the couch, plopping down on it. "I've just been real busy with work and what not," she lied, knowing full well that she spent her night watching mind-numbing television until she passed out. "Whatever. Well since you're not doing anything tonight, I think you should come to the races with us. You'll be pleased to find out that Damien has made many friends in Echo Park while you've been gone."

Dayna shook her head and kicked her feet up on the coffee table. "I'm kinda tired from work. I'll think I'll stay in and hit the hay early. Get a jump start on tomorrow," she replied. Mia stopped pacing and stood in front of her, her hands on her hips. Dayna rolled her eyes at the scowl that was on her face, one that reminded her oddly of a cross between Vince and Damien.

"Get over what the fuck is eating your ass. I need you. Who else am I gonna talk to about Damien? Letty will only listen so much. Whenever I start something that sounds remotely like a conversation she jumps straight into V mode. All she does is grunt and scowl, and look for anything that will get her out of it. Plus, I need to go shopping. New boy means new clothing. I need you in my life!"

Dayna continued to shake her head. She had made it clear that she didn't want anything to do with the team. They didn't understand why, but she knew that it was for their own safety. "You have to come, Day! You have to see your brother- Dom is letting him race tonight. I'm sure you won't want to miss that," Mia said. Dayna flipped her head up and stared at Mia. She cocked an eyebrow as her mouth twisted into a smirk. "If you're lying to me, Mia Toretto, I swear I'll call the cops on the races my damn self," she said, standing up from the couch.

Mia giggled as she watched Dayna head up the stairs. She did a twirl as she exited the house and ran the few blocks over to hers. "She's in!" She yelled in a sing-song voice, as she ran past Jesse who had a shit-eating grin on his face and up the stairs. Her main girl was back and she needed to be fierce for her arrival.


	16. Right

**Chapter 16**: Right

Dayna heart skipped a beat as the drivers pulled up to the starting line and began to prepare themselves for the race of their lives. "He'll be fine. We taught him everything we know, plus even if he didn't know what the hell he was doing out there, there's no way those losers will beat him," Dom said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him and smiled, but before she could turn away she spotted Vince off in the distance, sitting on the hood of his car, staring directly at her.

"I thought there was something going on between the two of you. Me and Letty would've bet money," he said, nodding over to Vince. Dayna shrugged and turned her attention back to the race. "Yeah, me too, but turns out we're on totally different pages in the book of life," she replied. The cars took off and she watched as the crowd roared as Damien took the lead. Minutes later, he pulled up to her after being declared the winner.

"Did you worry sis?" He said, climbing out of his car and snaking an arm around her waist. "Not so much worry, more like I'll-kill-Mia-and-Dom-if-something-goes-wrong," she said, placing a kiss on his forehead. The two locked eyes and smirked at each other, realizing that for now, everything was gonna be okay. Mia appeared from behind Damien and threw her arms around his neck. "Come on, we got a party to start," she said, pushing him towards the car.

A few hours later, the team found themselves in the middle of another crazy party in the Toretto house. The team was completely trashed, all dancing in the middle of the room, living their lives like there was no tomorrow. Letty shrieked, as Dom picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her away towards the stairs. Jesse and Leon shared a look as they knew it was time to look for their next racer chaser victims. As the duo parted ways in search for the flavor of the night, Dayna felt an arm snake around her waist and drag her out of the living room, pushing her into the kitchen.

She turned around and found Vince smirking at her, holding up a hand, two beer bottles hanging from in between his fingers. Dayna reached up and took a bottle out of his hand, reaching down to his jeans and pulling his keys out of his pocket. She opened the beer bottle with the bottle opener that was on the key ring, holding the keys out for him before turning around to walk away. Vince grabbed the keys and hooked one of his fingers into the waistband of the jeans she was wearing, dragging her back into the kitchen.

She turned and faced him, both of them aiming to stare the other down. Vince was the first one to crack of course, he could never resist a woman that was able to match scowls with him. "Come on. We can't keep walking on eggshells around each other," he said. Dayna scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not walking on any eggshells, V. I'm gonna take this beer to go and head back to my side of the neighborhood," she said.

Dayna turned and exited the kitchen for the umpteenth time that night. Vince kept trying to get her attention, kept trying to start a conversation with her. So she kept avoiding him, kept making sure they were never alone in a room. She ultimately decided that it was too much work to keep avoiding him. The party would be over soon, she was better off having her last beer and heading on back to her house. Get some sleep. Wake up tomorrow and start the same bullshit she had been doing for the last couple of weeks. Work.

She wouldn't admit it, but her heart was racing the entire night. And as unhealthy and dangerous as that sounds, she loved it. She loved being back in the fort, back under Vince's stare. Back with what was her psuedo family. Dayna mentally kicked herself, realizing that all she was aiming for was yet another night of crying herself to sleep at the realization that she was utterly alone in the world.

For their own safety, she needed to get her shit together and leave town. Again. For the second time in her life, she needed to run away with her tail between her legs if she wanted to spare them his wrath. All she was waiting for was for her transfer to go through. She had left Compton for Echo Park and was now putting Echo Park behind her for San Francisco.

And as she began to think about her past, about what had driven her away from her friends and family, twice over, tears began to stream down her face. And this is where Vince happened to have caught up with her. This was the point where he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried into his arms in the middle of the street, underneath the moonlight.

"Forget about it all. Focus on this moment. Right here. Right now."


	17. Crap

**Chapter 17**: Crap

Dayna groaned as it all came to her. Last night. The waterworks. The bottle of whiskey her and Vince downed together. The fact that she rambled on about nothing and knew that he didn't understand one word, but he nodded and listened, even if it was all gibberish. Them making out. The event that she had been trying to avoid all along. Her waking up in his bed. Again.

She glanced down at herself and smiled, thanking the powers that be that she was still clad in her clothes. She looked over and found Vince snoring lightly on his stomach, his face burrowed deep into the pillow. Dayna removed the arm that was trapping her in the bed and tried her hardest to sneak out of the basement. But she clearly sucked at life lately and she wasn't surprised when she found Mia waiting for her in the kitchen, coffee mug and aspirins waiting for her.

She smiled weakly at her and took both from her, making a beeline for the front door. "Does this mean I no longer have to hunt you down?" Mia said, following her. "Not a chance in hell," Dayna yelled over her shoulder, as she walked onto the front porch and began to speed walk.

She was late for yet another day of fucking work.

Crap.

----

"You gotta do it. The guys are swamped at the garage and you know damn well Letty can't be let near anything that isn't covered under some sort of warranty or insurance," Damien said, a pout on his face as he batted his eyes at Dayna.

She sighed and rolled her eyes knowing that she had no other choice. No matter how hard she tried to keep her distance, they still found a way to get back into her life. It got to the point where she would find the team strewn out all over her living room, after Vince so graciously picked the lock, once again.

No matter how hard she tried, they kept crawling back in and she lived for it. She spent her days sitting at work, looking forward to coming home to them. Coming home to Jesse tinkering on her laptop, installing add-ons and downloading programs she didn't even know existed. Coming home to Leon sunbathing in her back yard. Mia and Damien in the kitchen, working on dinner. Letty and Dom laying out in the grass, arguing about nothing. Vince on her couch, feet up on the coffee table, bag of chips in one hand, beer in the other. Remote on his lap. Just the way it should be.

"I can't let Mia suffer through one of Letty's attempts at cooking. Plus, it's her birthday. She deserves a day off without the team," Dayna said, agreeing to help the team out with Mia's birthday surprise. Damien agreed to take her out and keep her busy in order for the team to set up. Only problem was, there was nobody actually capable of making decisions and getting shit done.

Damien chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "I got the perfect day planned. I'm gonna sneak into the house at midnight. Kidnap her. Take her to this nice little bed and breakfast down by the beach. We'll sleep in. Then I figured we can do the beach, some food, a spa treatment, a walk in town. Then I'll tell her we're going to some fancy restaurant for dinner, have her get all dolled up. I'll blindfold her again, have her here by like nine the latest. I even planned for unforeseen events," he said.

Dayna made a gagging sound and slapped him on the chest. "Gross. Everything else sounds fine, but dude, too much information. I don't need visuals. And plus, if I were you, I would keep this a secret. Dom might just serve you at the party if he finds out you're taking her to a bed and breakfast, sleeping in and then planning for unseen events," she said.

Damien stood up and checked the clock. "We'll it's almost midnight. We should head over now. I'll get rid of her and then that way you guys can plan everything out when we leave. Whatever you do, don't forget the chocolate mousse cake. You know that's her favorite," he said, grabbing Dayna by the arm and dragging her off the couch.

She rolled her eyes at his mix of nervousness and excitedness, smiling at the fact that he was trying. Any other girl, he would've been fucked her and told all his friends about the highlights of his evening. But she could tell already that Mia was the one for him and he was the one for her. If they didn't die before they both realized it.

As they entered the house, Damien motioned for everyone to be quiet. Dom cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Dayna, a scowl on his face. She motioned to the clock and Dom nodded, realizing that it was officially Mia's birthday. Damien snuck into the kitchen after pulling out a blind fold from his back pocket. He snuck up behind Mia and placed the blindfold around her eyes, instructing her to just go with it. To live a little.

He lead her out of the kitchen and nodded to Dom before leading out of the house. The team stayed silent, not wanting to let her know that they were in cahoots with Damien. They waited until they heard Damien's car turn on and take off down the street before turning and facing each other to discuss the party.

Dayna walked over to the phone and picked up the note pad that was kept their for messages and plopped down into the couch next to Leon, writing down all the random things they were yelling out. After about twenty minutes, they finalized their shopping list and felt content with the amount of work they weren't doing, but she was.

Dom handed her his debit card and slapped her on the back. "Good luck," he said, standing up from the couch and heading for the kitchen. "Come by whenever tomorrow morning. I'll make sure someone is around to help you get the stuff and set up," he yelled over his shoulder, disappearing into the next room.

It was gonna be a long day. Calling out of work sick. Food shopping. Cleaning the house. Cooking. Setting up. Getting herself ready.

Dayna stood up and pocketed the shopping list, heading for the door after saying her goodnights. She was gonna need her rest. The day of tomorrow was gonna suck ass. The night- not so much. Hopefully.

But tomorrow. So close. So long.

Crap.

---

Dayna crossed the street in her black flip flops, low slung jeans and white wifebeater- black bra clearly showing through. Her hair was flowing wildly behind her. She woke up late. Only had enough time to throw clothes on, grab a pair of sunglasses and her black leather cuffs before running out the door.

As the Toretto house came into view, she began to slow her pace down. All the cars were gone. All except one.

Vince.

Yet another attempt on Dom's part to get both of them together.

And today she had no excuse.

She was scheduled to be at the house.

All day long.

All.

Day.

Crap.


	18. Two Sides

**Chapter 18: **Two Sides

Vince watched her out of the corner of his eye. He watched as she walked up and down the supermarket aisle, reading labels, weighing options, making decisions. He groaned once again. She was taking too long. How hard was it to grab shit off a list? Couldn't be that hard. He had seen Letty do it once. If she can do it, then Dayna should've been more than capable to do so.

"You could've stayed in the car," Dayna said, throwing some chips into the shopping cart. V rolled his neck out, the sound of his bones cracking were heard loudly. He was clearly tired, fed up and aggravated. He just wanted to be done with it all. He just wanted to eat, drink, fuck and sleep. And there was just one obstacle in his path, in more ways than one. Dayna.

He kept his mouth shut and followed her around the supermarket for another twenty minutes. Vince kept repeating the promise he made Dom. He gave him the lecture of treating Dayna good. She went out on a limb for them. She was doing them a favor. Plus, he knew that V was hot for her. Vince denied it as much as he could, but he couldn't stop the slow blush that was spreading onto his face.

Dom slapped him on the back and told him to go easy on her, he knew that shopping wasn't his forte. "What did you get Mia?" Dayna asked, as they loaded the bags into his car. "I got her some charm bracelet thing," he said, slamming the trunk door shut. Dayna took the extra emphasis with which he slammed the trunk door shut as the end of their conversation.

They slid back into the car and drove towards the house in silence. And that's pretty much how the rest of the day went. Dayna cooked and Vince set up the tables and chairs in the back yard. They found themselves cleaning up the living room, when they decided to drop the bullshit. "I'm sorry for whatever it is that I did to piss you off," she said, placing DVDs back into their appropriate places. Vince dropped the garbage bag he was holding and turned to face her. "What are you talking about? I thought you were mad at me, considering the fact that you snuck out of here and haven't said two words to me since then," he said.

Dayna laughed and held out a hand. "Truce, if only for tonight and for Mia's sake. Let's just call it a truce," she said. Vince walked over to her and placed his hand inside of hers, relishing the softness of it. "Truce," he whispered, before reaching down and placing a kiss on her lips. Dayna's heart skipped a beat and she stepped back, still in shock that he had kissed her.

"Am I reading things wrong here or not? Cause one minute we're all hot and heavy and I'm pretty sure you like me and then the next you're not interested in me," he said, holding his hands out. She stepped towards him and shook her head. "It's too complicated, Vince. I do have feelings for you. Whether physical or not, I am attracted to you. I'm attracted to everything in your life, but I can't get involved with you," she said.

"Why? Give me one good reason! And don't tell me it's cause you're married, because clearly you guys aren't together. I haven't seen or heard anything about that fool from you or Damien!" He yelled. V ran a hand through his hair and growled. Dayna stepped back, her body shaking. Whether from fear of him, anger towards him, or sadness because of the memories he brought up-she was shaking. "I'm sorry," he whispered, realizing what he had done.

"I told you to never speak of him," she whispered back, her eyes on the floor. Vince took a step towards her and she took one back, keeping distance between them. He slapped his hands down on his sides and sighed. "I'm gonna go finish setting up outside," he said, before turning around and leaving the room, realizing that he had fucked things up once again.

Dayna watched him walk off and kept staring long after he had been gone. She was snapped out of her daze by the oven timer, letting her know that it was time to check the cake she was baking. She went about her business in silence, just going through the motions of cooking, not putting any real thought into it.

It's not like it mattered that what she really wanted to do was run after Vince. Yell at him. Tell him everything. Explain why things were so fucked up. But as hard as she tried, the words wouldn't come out. She couldn't even open her mouth to let him know that there was two sides to her story.

What you see and what really is.

---

"Where are we now?" Mia said, trying to peek out from underneath her blind fold. "It's a surprise," Damien said, shifting into park. "We did the amazing bed and breakfast. Picnic at the beach. Massages at the local spa. We took a tour of the little town by the beach. What else could top this?" She said, taking her seat belt off as she heard Damien open his door and shut it.

Seconds later, her door opened and she let Damien guide her out of the car. She grasped onto his hand tightly as she talked her through the walk, telling her where the steps, bumps and cracks were. She heard a door shut behind her and she felt the stillness of an enclosed room, the smell of a fresh baked bread and the comfort that only a mother could offer.

"Before you take the blindfold off, you gotta promise me that you'll never tell a soul you were here. No one. Including Dayna. Above all, Dayna," he said, reaching over and untying the blindfold. Mia nodded and jumped at the excitement of figuring out what her next present was.

Damien pulled the blindfold off and stood aside, letting her drink everything in. Mia's eyes fell over every surface in the room. A house. His mother's house. She could tell by all the pictures that littered the walls. The ones of him and Dayna with other people she had never met. The pictures of naked babies playing in the tub. The toddlers playing in the park. The children at Halloween. The teenagers in front of the house. Dayna at graduation, holding up a diploma proudly.

"This is where I grew up. Where I currently live. With my mom and my brother. They're not here right now, which might be for the best," he said, standing next to her and reaching for his hand. Mia entwined her fingers with his and smiled as she studied the room. "There's someone else I want you to meet," he whispered, nodding towards the next room.

Mia followed him into the next room and towards what appeared to be stairs leading into the basement. She soon realized that just like her house, their basement was finished and separated off into several rooms. Damien lead her to the first room and opened the door softly.

The room was semi-dark, she could see soft glows coming from the end of it. She gripped on tighter to Damien's hand, not knowing if she liked where this was going. "Relax," he whispered, reaching over to the wall and turning the lights on.

The room was instantly flooded with lights and Mia gasped as her eyes fell on the end of the room. "He's like my one of my brothers. A son my mother never gave birth to, but raised. Mia Toretto, I would like to introduce you to Jason Morelo," Damien said, walking across the room and standing next to a hospital bed.

Mia took small steps until she had reached Damien and the hospital bed, a sad smile on her face as she realized that the person in the bed was on life support, holding on simply because the machines he was hooked up to kept him hanging on to whatever life he had left in him. "I come down here and talk to him sometimes. It's kinda weird but I feel like he listens and he understands. He knows what's it like to give up your everything for someone that you love. Even your life if it was necessary," Damien said.

She smiled up at him, tears in the corner of her eyes. "I'm guessing this is the young, strapping fellow that married Dayna," she said, reaching over and fixing Jason's blanket. Damien sighed and chuckled, running a hand over his face, before staring off into the near distance. "We were young. We were alive. We were stupid. Wrong place, wrong time. But she blames herself for it. He took bullets for her and she never forgave herself for it. She's still hanging on to the past, to him. To what we used to have, what we used to be. That's why she won't let you guys in. She's afraid that it'll be one of you laying in this bed next."

Mia sat down on the edge of the bed and shook her head softly. "How long?" She asked. "Jason's been gone for about six years now. His parents couldn't afford to keep him in the hospital anymore, so when they were gonna pull the plug my mom stepped in. She said all her sons were gonna outlive her, even if she had to kill herself ahead of time. She wasn't gonna lose a child. So we fixed up the basement, bought the equipment and he's been here ever since."

"She still carries you around with her, wherever she goes," she whispered, placing a hand over Jason's limp hand. "When Jason was declared a vegetable, she lost it. I thought I was gonna lose my sister, my brother, my best friend. This ripped us apart, Mia. I was scared shitless. I didn't know what to do. I never had to worry. Dayna was always there to fix up any of the messes we got into, but everyone turned their back on her. Everyone blamed her and she started to listen and she got it into her head that this was her fault. That we all turned to a life of crime because of her. She didn't force us to do anything. We made our own choices. If anything, she got mixed up because of us," he said, beginning to pace the room.

"She tried to kill herself. Mami found, got her to the hospital just in the nick of time. We've been in so much trouble, in and out of jails, that my mom knows anybody and everybody that has to do with the law. Through her friends in the police department, she reached out to a psychologist that worked for them. The psychologist came, fixed everything. Fixed her. And that was what mattered the most. That she was whole, so we were whole."

Mia watched him pace and began to picture the words he was saying. "She cleaned up her act, got back into school, joined the police academy. Dayna was all about being better now, but that wasn't good enough for some people. They wanted her to continue running the streets. They kept taunting, fucking with her. She didn't have a choice but to leave once she got her college diploma. Moved a couple of blocks away, but that wasn't enough. A year later, she moves into your hood. Where your family hits too close to home."

"But still, Damien. We are your family. We take care of each other and I don't understand why you guys are so secretive about your family life. Always talking about it's for our best interest. What's out there that is so bad?" Mia asked, standing up from the bed and facing him.

"Me. Us. Him."


	19. Giving In

**Chapter 19: **Giving In

Mia shrieked as the guests began to sing happy birthday to her. She took the blind fold off and giggled as she realized that her backyard was full with all her closest friends. It turns out that Mia had a shit load of them, Dayna thought, as she stood in front of the grill and flipped some burgers. Dom had promised to take her off the grill as soon as Mia came in and they all said happy birthday- then and only then, would he be able to man the grill.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead and groaned, flipping over some of the burgers she was currently taking out all her frustrations on. She was hot. Tired. Her feet ached. She didn't want to smell or see any of the food she spent the entire day making, she only wanted to get obliterated- drunk beyond her wildest dreams and call it a night.

She sighed as Dom finally made his way towards her, a slick smile on his face. "We did good," he said, glancing over at the meat that was cooking. "We did nothing, more like Vince and me did everything," she snapped at him. He frowned at her and then smiled. "Things get hot and heavy between you and prince charming?"

Dayna rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath, while thinking of the right thing to say in this situation. "Nothing, happened. I cooked. He cleaned. End of story. Your idea of getting us together, by ourselves was an epic failure, simply because prince charming is an asshole. A simple asshole. That is all," she said, shoving the tongs she was using to flip the burgers into his hand and sauntering away.

She made her way through the crowd and into the kitchen, looking for anything to get her started on the night's mission. She spotted Mia in the middle of the kitchen, running her mouth off about something, but it was too late. By the time Dayna started to turn around and head back into the crowd to hide, Mia had started to shriek at her presence. Dayna rolled her eyes once again and tried her hardest to stifle her groan.

Mia didn't speak, just simply ran up to her and threw her arms around her, clutching on to her tightly. "Happy birthday?" Dayna said, surprised at Mia's reaction. Mia pulled away and placed her hands on Day's shoulder, a shit eating grin on her face. "What's going on, Mi?" She asked.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to thank you for helping the team out with this. And let you know that I'm here for you, no matter what," Mia said, glancing back over at Damien, who was standing over in the corner, talking to Leon. Day followed her line of sight and found Damien smiling back at them. Damien and her locked eyes and he nodded at her. Day's heart skipped a beat as she realized that Damien had spilled the beans. Damien had crossed that line. The one that didn't let anyone turn back.

Her secret was out. Now everywhere she turned, she would imagine everyone knew about her and Jason. That everyone knew it was all her fault. That everyone was looking at her with disgust.

She walked away from Mia and left her staring after her. Day yanked the fridge open and search through out it for something to drink. Something hard. Something to numb her from the inside out. Something to make her forget. "I know I fucked up today, so I got you something to help you forget how much of an asshole I am," a voice said.

She turned around and found Vince holding up a bottle of whiskey with a red bow around it. She snatched the bottle out of his hand and pushed through the throng of people in the kitchen, heading into the only quiet place in the house- the front porch.

Vince followed her, his usual swag in his step. He found her leaning against the porch railing, taking gulps from the bottle. "I'm sorry. I should've listened when you told me not to bring him up again. I was just being my normal self. I can't just be cool about things, I need to push them until someone breaks and gives in- usually not me," he said. He received silence as a response as Dayna continued to drink.

Vince watched her and clenched his fists, not too happy with her response. He was apologizing, something he never did. Especially to girls. He never apologized. He never had to. The most he would have to do was sweet talk a girl, show her his car, get her drunk, get her in bed. He never had to make any real conversation. Hold a real relationship.

Letty and Mia were a package deal that came with Dom. Over the years, him and Letty bonded but him and Mia were another issue. Apart from the fact that he had a major crush on her for years, he knew that he had no business with her. Mia was cute and smart, he was rough and rough. That was all that he had to offer. A good fight and a good fuck.

But there was something about Dayna that made him feel like he could do it. Hold a real relationship. Learn to love someone. Have someone that actually wants to be with him. Not the cars. Dom. The money. Just him.

And here she was. Right in front of him. The one that had calmed his fears. The one that didn't roll over and go back to sleep like the others. She reached out to him and didn't stop to make fun of him. She was right there, in front of him. And yet, she was too far.

No matter how he tried or how hard, he felt like she was slipping away from him. Getting farther and farther away with each passing day. And here he was, trying to come up with the right words to say. The words that would fix everything. The words that would put them together.

And as all these thoughts ran through his head and as his anger got the best of him, he was oblivious to the hell she was stuck in. The personal hell she had no way out of. The hell she was stuck in- for life. Vince was oblivious to the fact that as much as she had helped them, she couldn't help herself. Her entire self worth was based on how many people she could help, not on how she felt about herself, her life. She lived for them. That's the only reason why she was still there.

"I'm trying here, Dayna. I'm honestly trying my hardest not to get in your face about the fact that you're being a complete bitch for no fucking reason," he said, stepping closer to her. And as he stepped closer, she looked up and their eyes connected. For a moment, they felt like everything was gonna be alright. Like the world had slowed down, so that they could catch up.

"What's wrong?" Vince whispered, as tears came sliding out of her eyes. Dayna shook her head and smiled weakly at him. "It's not your fault. I'm the one that's drowning in her own shoes," she whispered, passing him the bottle of alcohol. He graciously accepted and took a big gulp, hoping to catch up to her.

Vince slid up next to her on the porch railing and they sat in silence, looking into the window and watching the people interact within the house. They didn't know how long they had sat there, but the party was in full swing. Drunk people were scattered everywhere and somewhere, Dom was giving Letty a massage.

Dayna giggled and bumped her shoulder into Vince, sending him flying off of his perch on the porch railing. The two were completely drunk, barely able to manage a movement without having to steady themselves against something. Vince groaned, as he climbed up to his full height and glared at her. "I don't like this game anymore," he muttered, rubbing on his elbow.

"Aww poor baby. Would you like me to kiss it to make it feel better?" She said, her words slurring. V nodded and approached her. Within seconds, the two were all over each other. Damien stuck his head out the front door and whistled at them. The duo parted and glanced over at him, both panting. "You guys want to take this inside and into some dark corner? I don't think Dom would appreciate the neighbors calling the cops for indecent exposure," he said.

Damien disappeared inside the house and Vince and Day found themselves laughing at the fact that Vince had his hands inside of her shirt, grasping at her bra. "Come on," he said, releasing the hold he had on her and dragging her inside the house.

The party had begun to dwindle, so as they crossed the living room, catcalls rang out throughout the house. Dayna felt her face on fire, as she realized that Vince was leading her towards the basement stairs. She knew what this looked like- they were going to fuck. Not that it mattered to her, in her drunken stupor she had begun to rationalize things. She would be gone in a matter of a couple of days. It wouldn't matter if she and Vince had a fling. It was one night. They were both drunk. Prolly wouldn't remember anything in the morning.

Dayna pushed all those thoughts in the back of her head that had kept her from reaching out to anyone for the past six years. The thoughts that told her that she was still married. That she still had to honor her high school sweet heart. That she needed to remain faithful to him.

But she didn't care. She was too drunk to realize what was going on. It had been six years. She could only resist so much. And as Vince held her hand and walked her into his room, she smiled, inhaling his scent. She was finally giving in.


	20. Gone

**Chapter 20: **Gone

Dayna fell back into the bed, burning his scent into the back of her head. Vince dropped down besides her, drawing her on top of him. She straddled him, lowering herself and kissing him until her lips felt raw. She reached down and pulled her shirt off. Vince froze and stared at her. He studied her wild hair, as it traveled down her back. The tattoos that lined her body. The satin soft skin that was yearning to be touched by him.

She smiled down at him, watching at his blue eyes traced her body. Vince reached up and grasped her face within his hands. She rubbed her face against his rough, calloused hands. She closed her eyes and purred, grinding against him. "Are you sure about this?" He whispered, feeling himself straining against his jeans. She nodded eagerly, opening her eyes and locking them on to his.

He opened his mouth and almost let those words slip out. The words that had been haunting him ever since he found out about the other part of her life. What about him, your husband? But he knew that if those words left his mouth, they would be back at square one. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about her walking down the aisle with some guy. He couldn't help but think that he was after some one else's wife.

Vince shut his mouth and swallowed those words, realizing that this was the only chance he had to be next to her. To be inside of her. He had spent so many nights picturing this moment and it was finally here. With one swift move, he flipped them over and he ended up on top of her and in between her legs. "Please don't regret this in the morning," he whispered, as he began to place soft kisses on her neck.

Dayna shook her head and moaned, as she felt the pressure mounting in between her legs. Vince worked his way down her body, kissing and sucking on everything he knew would drive her wild. He climbed out of the bed and shed his clothes, standing in front of her naked. Dayna pulled her bra off and shed the rest of her clothes. She pulled the covers over her body and watched as Vince walked over to his dresser.

When he turned around, a condom in his hand, he felt his heart skip a beat. It as finally coming true. She was in his bed. Naked. He was naked. They were finally going to make love. And that was what scared him. He had feelings for her. Feelings that came out of nowhere. He had feelings for no reason. There was just something about her that made him feel like the world had slowed down for them.

He had never felt that feeling before. He had never had the urge to make sure a woman in his bed was okay. That she wouldn't wake up in the morning and regret what they had done. He wanted to wakeup in the morning and have her asleep in his arms. Wake up in the morning and take her out to breakfast. Drive her home and wish her a good day at work. Spend the day thinking about her. Text her to see how work went. Go over and help her make dinner. Spend the night talking. Spend the making love. Then wake up and do it again.

It was a weird feeling, but he felt like he could do it. Over and over again. He wanted to do it. He wanted to settle down, skip the bullshit fucking and head straight into the rest of his life. His future. And he wanted her in it.

Vince slid into the bed and wrapped an arm around her warm body. He rubbed his face against her shoulder, inhaling her scent and silently wishing that tomorrow morning she was still there when he woke up. Still in his arms. Still in his life.

They began to make sweet love, ignoring the footsteps above their heads and throwing themselves completely into the act. The pushed the doubts floating in their heads to the back and said fuck it. It was the right moment, the right time. They didn't care. They only wanted to feel each other. Feel that they were alive.

And that's how they spent the rest of the night. Moaning into each others arms, grasping on to each other's skin. As he entered her, he felt the familiar tightness inside of her and realized that as she threw her head back and gasped, he had been the only one to penetrate her for a while. He loved the fact that it seemed as if no one had touched her recently. A cute little movie played out in his head. She was saving herself for him. And as crazy as Vince knew it sounded, he didn't care. He went with it and gave it all he had.

That was the night the nightmares stopped.

The first night in ages that he could sleep the entire night through without waking up to find someone by his side- scared shitless or laughing at him.

----

Vince groaned, reaching over and turning off the alarm that sat on his nightstand. He stretched his body out and glanced around the room. She was gone. Again. He shook his head as he climbed out of the bed, mentally kicking himself. He should've known better than to make up little stories in his head. He should've known better.

He threw a pair of basketball shorts on and slipped into a tank top, making his way up the basement stairs. He needed to take refuge in some of Mia's pancakes and hopefully catch a nap to lessen his hangover before Dom started yelling for him to get his ass to work.

He emerged from the dark basement and cringed at the amount of sunlight flooding the kitchen. He instinctively moved around the kitchen, heading to the stove and checking the pots and pans. He frowned and looked over to the kitchen table, finding it also empty.

V growled and walked into the living room, finding the team sitting quietly. "What's with breakfast?" He asked, walking over to them and glaring at Mia. His face softened as his eyes landed on her tear streaked face. Her body shook and her voice quivered as she began to speak, but no words came out.

Letty wrapped an arm around her and tried to shush her best friend, trying to console what clearly looked like a broken woman. "She woke up this morning and found a note on her pillow. Damien and Dayna are gone," she said, glancing over at Dom and then back to Mia.

"He said that he was done with her and us. That he simply wanted to fuck her. He also requested for her to never try to contact him again," Dom said, standing up from the couch and walking over to V. Vince shook his head, not believing his ears. "There's something fishy going on, Dom. Damien doesn't seem the type to do some shit like this," Leon said.

Dom shook his head and glanced over at Vince. "Let's go down to Dayna's and ask her what's going on. There's no way in hell this shit ends like this," he said, heading for the front door. The team emerged from the house and followed his lead, all struggling to keep up with his pace. Letty shook her head, realizing that Dom was beyond the point of pissed. Nobody hurt Mia and got away with it. The only reason O'Connor managed to slip by was because they were on the run. She knew that this time around, heads would roll.

As they crossed the street to Dayna's house, they found her exiting her house, slamming the front door shut behind her. She was dressed in jeans, a tank top and a leather jacket, two duffel bags in tow. She walked over to her car and threw them into the back seat, groaning as she saw the team walking towards her.

Dayna walked around her car and stood by the driver side door, placing a pair of sunglasses on her face. "What the hell is going on with your brother? What kinda shit is he trying to pull here?" Dom said, shoving the note he left for Mia into her arms. Day balled the note up and threw it on the ground. "Whatever beef you have with my brother, that's your business. I'm gone, Dom. For good," she said, turning around and beginning to climb into the car.

Letty knew that Dom would never hit a girl, but she would be damned if she didn't. As Dayna began to climb into her car, Letty reached over and grabbed her by the back of her head, forcing her to turn and face them. As the sunlight glistened off the metal frames of her sunglasses, Letty ripped them off of her face, revealing a pair of black eyes.

Letty gasped and took a step back, her jaw going slack at the abuse that was currently written on Dayna's face. The beaten woman reached over and snatched the sunglasses from Letty's hand, placing them back on her face. She shifted nervously as she watched their faces go from anger to sadness to worry. "If you want to keep them safe, I suggest you forget about us," Dayna said, staring directly into Dom's face.

"Let us help you," Vince said, stepping towards her. She ignored him and kept her eyes trained on Dom. "Promise me, Dom. Promise me that you won't let them slip out of your life because of us," she said, sliding into the driver's side of the car. Dom stepped towards the car and did something none of them ever expected. He shut her door and stepped away from the car. "You need me, you know where I'm at," he said, tapping the top of her car.

Dayna turned her car on and shifted into drive. The team stood back and watched she pulled into the street and drove off. They followed her with their eyes until they couldn't see her no more. They resisted the urge to hop into their cars and follow her. Save her.

"What the fuck, Dom? You practically shoved her in her car and told her to take off," Vince said, walking up to Dom and getting into his face. "This time around, V, I put us first. She clearly isn't safe here and neither would we be, if we convinced her to stay here. For her safety and ours, she's better off gone," Dom yelled, before turning around and walking back to their house.

Vince turned around and stared at Dayna's house. All the shades were drawn and all the lights were off.

She was gone.

For good.


	21. Goodbye

**Chapter 21: **Goodbye

Mia shut the bedroom door and leaned against it, not realizing how weak her knees were until she found herself sliding down to the floor. She cradled her head between her knees and began to cry as she once again was lost.

Brian came out of nowhere and swept her off of her feet. Made her fall in love in a matter of weeks. Then he destroyed her. Damien came around and did the same thing. But this time around, he took a little more of her than Brian did. He took her best friend with him. He took Mia's heart with him.

She cried harder as she realized that she hadn't learned her lesson the first time around. That the first heart break wasn't good enough for her. She had to set herself up for failure once again. She always fell for the out-of-towner. For the one that no body knew. Why couldn't she fall for one of the losers that was always trying to take her out from the races? The ones that Dom knew his entire life. The ones that had nowhere to run and were easy to find and kill if they fucked with her. Why couldn't she had fallen for Vince?

It was just one failure after another.

One epic failure after another.

Mia would've figured that as time went on, her heart would heal. That things would fall back into place. But then she remembered all the nights she cried herself to sleep over Brian's miserable ass. All the times she caught herself daydreaming about him. About the what-ifs.

She realized that she would have to go through the entire process all over again, but this time she knew it wouldn't be the same. None of them looked at her the same way. They all walked on egg shells around her, knowing that at any moment she could snap. Take them all with her.

She smiled and continued to lead as much a normal life as she could. Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry. She threw herself into her work, ignoring the little voices in the back of her head. The little voices that told her that something was wrong. The ones that told her to take her head out of her ass and to go out there and find them.

Deep down inside, Mia knew that Damien wasn't Brian. That he would never leave her. The only way he would do something like that was if either her or Dayna were in trouble.

She thought back to the day of her birthday and her visit to Damien's house. The day she met Jason. The day she found out about Dayna's past. She remembered something vaguely about how Dayna had run because of someone and how they kept fucking with her.

Mia pushed all these thoughts into the back of her head and went about her day as usual. She picked herself up from the floor and glanced over to the calendar. It had been a month. Exactly one month since her birthday. Since he left. Without saying goodbye.

----

Leon, Letty, Jesse and Vince huddled around the kitchen table, peering over Jesse's shoulders as he typed furiously on his laptop. They were so intent on what he was doing that they didn't notice that Mia had walked into the kitchen and that she was watching them. Jesse froze and stopped typing, simply closing his laptop and folding his hands over it. "What the hell are you-," Leon begun to say, but stopped shortly when he looked up and found Mia leaning against the wall.

"What are you guys up to?" She asked, sweetly, a fake smile plastered on her face. She knew that they had been up to something that wasn't good. They had been having secret meetings without Dom or her. Any time they thought that the brother and sister weren't looking, they would disappear into the garage or into the basement, spending hours talking quietly.

"Searching for a birthday present for Dom," Letty replied. Almost too fast. Like as if she had practiced it for hours on end. "Uh huh," Mia replied, stepping towards them. "Hey, you wanna go for a drive?" Vince said, stepping between Mia and the rest of his partners in crime. Mia shook her head and with one hand, pushed V to the side. "Spill it," she said, almost too calm, sliding up to Jesse and staring him down.

Jesse began to squirm in his seat and glanced between Leon and Vince, looking for some help. "Don't blame him, Mia. It was all my idea. I was the one that wanted to find them, so I blackmailed them all into helping," Letty said. Mia smirked and shook her head.

"Why didn't you guys just tell me that you were looking for them?"

"We figured that it would hurt, ya know. After everything that happened with Brian and then Damien and Dayna, we figured you wouldn't have wanted them around anymore," Leon said.

"You're right. I want you guys to leave them alone. They don't belong here anymore. Brian is gone and so are they. It's time we moved on," Mia said, turning on her heel and heading for the door.

"They aren't Brian. They never lied to us. They need our help. They are a part of this family too," Vince said.

Mia shook her head and continued to exit the kitchen. She walked into the living room and wasn't surprised when she turned around and found Vince following her. "You deserve a happy ending, Mi. We're gonna find them and bring them home. Sort this shit out and go back to being a happy family," he said.

"No! Leave them alone, Vince. If Dom finds out that you guys are looking for them, he's gonna flip shit. We're better of just forgetting about them. If you continue to push this, we'll end up on the run again. As if we didn't get enough of that last time around," she said.

V shook his head and sat down on the arm of the couch. "You know they aren't Brian. You know they think they are doing what's best. You can't spend the rest of your life running away from people because the buster came around and fucked everything up. If I remember correctly, Brian saved our asses from ending up in jail or worse. He saved my life! He gave Dom a car and let him get away! Brian is gone and we can't find him. I'm not gonna turn my back on Damien and Dayna, when they have done nothing but help us also. I have a chance to find them and I am. The only thing left to discuss is whether or not you are gonna help us."

She turned and faced him, biting on the bottom of her lip. V was right. Brian was gone. Damien and Dayna were gone also, but she knew she could find them. She had memorized the drive back to her house from his house. She knew she could find them and bring them back. She knew she could do what she couldn't do for Brian. Make them a home.

"I know where he is."

---

They sat low in the bucket seats, watching the people walking up and down the street. Vince had borrowed one of the cars that were left over night at the garage. Letty came up with an alibi that would keep Dom busy. Jesse did a background check on the entire Batista family and any one that he could find that had come into contact with them. Leon sat in the font passenger seat and chewed on his toothpick, while Mia sat in the back seat, peering out of the window.

They had been sitting there for a good twenty minutes, hoping and quietly waiting for either Damien or Dayna to show up at the house they were currently sitting across the street from. Vince kept a permanent scowl on his face, realizing that they were in one of the worst neighborhoods of Compton. The streets were littered, the houses were falling apart and people were all over the place. But that all seemed to stop in the area surrounding the house that Damien lived in.

The house was in good shape and so was it's corner of the street. The fence was painted a bright white that flowed into the neatly trimmed yard and matched the freshly painted front door of the house that Mia said Damien had taken her too. It was clear, that someone ran a tight ship and didn't settle for anything less than the best.

But even though Mia said that they would be okay as long as they stayed out of sight, Vince was comforted b y the cold piece of steel currently tucked into his waistband. He scrunched down farther into the seat as a car drove up the street.

Vince was able to release the breath he didn't know he was holding in, once the car passed them without giving them a second thought. He scowled deepened as he realized that he wasn't worried about himself- years on the street had shown him how to handle himself, he was worried about the passengers in his semi-stolen car.

He knew Letty could scrap, depending on her opponent. Mia and Jesse would be easy to take down and honestly, he had never seen Leon in anything more serious than an argument. He was easy going and didn't attract a lot of attention, unlike Vince, so he didn't really know if he could count on him if anything went down.

As Vince was second guessing his choice in back up, he briefly took his eyes off of the mirrors and glanced up the street. When he placed them back on the mirror, he found a mature woman leaning down towards the car and smiling at Mia. "I thought you would've come sooner, Mia," she whispered.

Mia jumped and shrieked, taken aback about the fact that the woman had such stealth. Mia smiled weakly, not knowing what to do. Vince turned in his seat and glared at the woman, opening his mouth to yell some smart ass remark to her. The older woman held her hand up, signaling for him to save his breath. She slid her other hand into the car and held it out for Mia to take.

"Damien showed me pictures of you and your family. I know everyone in this neighborhood. I recognized you as soon as you pulled up. My name is Diana and it's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said. Mia glanced between Vince and Diana, still not knowing what to do.

Diana nodded and retracted her hand, realizing that the situation was an iffy one. "If you guys are hiding from David, I wouldn't suggest sitting out here in this car. He drives by the house countless times a day. You're better off inside the house. I just finished making dinner and there's an apple pie in the oven. Come on, before the food gets cold," she said. She simply walked away and crossed the street, walking into the house.

Vince realized that she had left the front door open after her entrance, signaling that she was dead serious about their dinner plans. "Thirty minutes and then we're gone. I don't want anything to go down here. This isn't our turf and let's keep that in mind," he said, turning the car on to allow Mia to close her window.

Letty gave Leon a look as Vince opened his door and climbed out of the car. He waited for everyone to follow suit before crossing the street all together and entering what Jesse would later on refer to as the dragon's lair.

----

As Vince lead the team, minus Dom, into the house, he realized that he had lost complete and total control just by following Diana's order. The house and its atmosphere put him at ease instantly, and this worried him.

As they entered the house, they found Diana standing in the dinning room, the table already set. "Well, come on, food isn't gonna eat itself," she said, waving to the empty seats around the table. The team sat down, giving each other short glances.

Vince observed and made mental notes as Diana went about serving them dinner, talking to them like as if they had known each other for years. He realized that Damien talked to his mother extensively about them, showing her pictures and describing each of their personalities. "Jesse, I know you're allergic to nuts, so don't worry. I made sure to avoid everything and anything that has nuts," she said, placing some salad on his plate.

Diana sat down after serving them all and smiled peacefully at them, like as if there was nothing awkward about the situation. Another dinner with the team. Just another night.

Letty felt drawn the older woman, she reminded her of so many things. Of her mother before the drugs. Of Mrs. Toretto before she died. Of Dayna. And of Dom oddly. She guessed the way she commanded attention. The way it came off that she didn't bullshit and nobody bullshitted her.

Mia sat to Diana's right and found herself staring into the woman's eyes and following her every move. She wanted to be a part of this woman's life. She wanted her son by her side. Her daughter on her other side. She needed to know. She needed confirmation that this wasn't just it for them.

Diana was a small, light skinned woman with graying hair that she kept short. She was short, barely 5' 2", but when she spoke, people listened. Her voice was laced with years of wisdom and love. She was that person everyone looked up to, simply because of who she was. Simply because of what she wasn't.

She had a slight accent, English wasn't her native language. It was clear that she had learned it on the streets over her lifespan. She spoke with her hands and held her head high, her face always holding an emotion of some sort. Her eyes glistened and her eyelashes were long and dark, protecting the windows of her soul. You could clearly see what she was feeling- it was all in her eyes.

And as they chatted about random things, building a lasting relationship that they knew nothing about, it wasn't long before the food was eaten and desert was handed out. It wasn't long before the house was enveloped in complete darkness and they felt like heading home for a nap.

But not before the main event.


	22. Into the Night

**Chapter 22: **Into the Night

"I'm guessing you're the one she's fallen for," Diana said, looking directly at Vince. The rest of the dinner guests chuckled and laughed, knowing that no matter how hard Vince and Day tried to play it off, they were hot for each other. V felt his face getting hot and the only thing he could do was raise an eyebrow, before continuing to devour what was left of the freshly baked pie.

"My daughter loves the strong, tall and silent type. She also can't resist a hard working man. By your hands, I can just tell that you're not simply here for Mia and Damien," Diana said, reaching over and serving Vince more pie. He sighed and simply continued to eat more. Diana reached over and used her hand to cover Mia's.

She stared intently into her eyes and smiled. "Your brother, Dom, was involved in certain activities that were not so legal. You stuck by him, because he is your brother. Your blood. He is a part of you no matter what," Diana said. She placed her other hand on the other side of the table, covering Vince's hand. "Damien and Dayna are only doing what they think is best. Supporting their brother. Trying to keep him safe because that's what they are supposed to do. They are their brother's keeper. They are simply doing what he wants. He snaps his fingers and people jump. If they don't do what he wants, people will get hurt. If they don't do what he wants, he will hurt them. That's how Dayna got dragged into all of this, protecting Damien."

Diana let go of their hands and stood up. "I want to show you something. Show you how this all got started. Show you how we got here and how things might end. Then you guys can make your minds up about this. You're either gonna run out of here as fast as you can or you'll stay for popcorn and a movie. Either way, I won't be offended," she said, turning and heading for a door.

She opened the door, revealing a flight of stairs that lead to the basement. Mia was the first to stand and walk over to the older woman. Mia smiled at her now and her face lit up. "I think we'll be staying for popcorn and the movie, but Jay gets to pick," she said, before bouncing down the stairs and disappearing.

---

Vince sighed, pulling his shirt off and walking into his room. He walked over to the nightstand and turned on the light. He did a double take as he found Dayna sitting on his bed, staring up at him. "Dude, seriously, invest in a gym if you're gonna be heading over to my mom's house. She tends to force feed people she likes. And that," she said, pointing to his bloated stomach, "Is not a good look."

He took a step towards her, a shit eating grin on his face. Dayna held up a hand and shook her head. "You have to stay away from us, V. I know my mother made it real clear what the consequences will be if you keep coming around and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," she said. It was his turn to shake his head. He threw his shirt into a corner and sighed again.

"You can't keep us away, Day. Just give up and stop trying to force our hand. I can handle your brother. We all know what we are getting into," he said, walking over and sitting down on the bed next to her. "Just stay away from us, V. I want nothing to do with you. We don't want nothing to do with any of you. It was just a mere past time for us, V. We needed a change of scenery and we got bored with it. Now don't contact any of us, ever again. We're changing our phone numbers and we're moving. Don't try to find us. I don't wanna have to get my hands dirty with you."

Dayna stood up from the bed and made her way towards the door. Vince stood up and grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to turn around and face him. "I want you to look at me in the eyes and tell me that we were just a hobby to you guys. Some entertainment until the next best thing came along," he said, grabbing on to her face and bring it a mere inch from his.

She could feel his hot breath on her skin and she fought the urge to kiss him deeply before disappearing into the dark night. But she knew that she had to end it now before things went wrong- again. "You guys mean nothing to us, Vince. Get it through your thick ass head. We're done. You're no longer a part of my life or my brother's life," she said.

"You don't mean that! You're a fucking liar!"

"You're a fucking a loser!"

Those words stung her more than it did him, but she knew that she had to get her message across. She needed to be effective, for his sake. For her peace of mind. For their love.

Dayna pushed his away and walked out of his room. Out of his life.

Without a goodbye. A kiss.

Just gone.

Into the night.

---

He knew something was wrong as soon as he walked into the house and saw the look on Mia's face. The tears that were currently sliding down it. The fact that Leon was pacing. Dom was sitting on a corner of the couch, shaking his head. Letty sat frozen. Jesse typed furiously away at his computer.

---

The cops came. Questions were asked. Nothing was solved. They could do nothing. They knew nothing. Jesse tried as hard as he could, but he found nothing. Anything that would lead them in the right direction. Something that would help them find him. Save her. Help them. Anything that would relieve the pressure that was building in Vince's chest as he felt his world slipping out of his hands little by little.

She was in coma from the beating he gave her.

Because they wouldn't let up.

Because he wouldn't stop.

Because he was in love with her.

And she warned him.

But she took the punishment for him.

Vince slipped out of the house and into the night without a sound. He was good at that, it came easy. He developed it as a necessary skill for survival but now it would come in handy. Now it would be his only connection to her.


End file.
